


Saltwater Tears

by ashethehedgehog



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, M/M, Merpeople, Mutual Pining, merman au, merman!Yugi, princes being princes, there is ONE (1) smut scene in it be warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-09-18 22:57:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 54,674
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20320906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashethehedgehog/pseuds/ashethehedgehog
Summary: Atem, prince of a seaside kingdom. Yugi, prince to the merpeople of the sea.Worlds collide with one fateful encounter, and they find themselves enraptured with each other. But sooner or later, Yugi and Atem have to grow up, and their kingdoms are worlds apart.(Alternative title: No One Said Mutual Pinning With The Prince Next Door Was Easy)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And we're back! Hello everyone <3  
This year's big bang I actually DIDN'T write a sci-fi AU (gasp) I know its weird ahaha. I don't often write something based in one tiny area, most of my fics are adventure fics, but this one did have some unique challenges that came with writing it.  
Update schedule is one chapter a day, as per big bang rules~ (however this weekend there wont be updates, I have a con to go to lmao great timing I know ahaha)  
Huge shout out to my beat Ari for smashing out these chapters in record timing! ilu man <3  
Please enjoy! uvu

The summons came as no surprise to him. He was used to servants hesitantly entering his room to relay messages from his father, and he had come to realise the more awkward they seemed, the more dire the message. Often it came in the form of a summon, and Atem sighed, shaking his head at what awaited him.

He turned through twisting, long hallways until they eventually cornered him, bending together to spit Atem out the nearest doorway.

Which just so happened to be where his destination was.

To call it a room and not a mansion within a palace would be an understatement of the highest degree. His father’s meeting rooms made up nearly half of the castle’s chambers, each one generously decorated with enough precious metal, sleek wood, and luscious wallpaper to support an entire family with just one room’s value alone.

His father was sitting in the chair at the end of the room, the back wall covered in glass panels, an uninterrupted view of the ocean spiralling out into the horizon behind him.

“Atem.” His father said, turning slowly in his chair to regard his son.

Atem gave his customary half bow, hand pressed against his chest as he did so. “Father. I trust you are well today.”

“I am. And you, son?”

“I am well, also.” Atem nodded, pausing with his next breath. “You summoned me?”

His father nodded, giving a hum of affirmation. “I have written to several noble houses in the surrounding areas, and some beyond our land. I’m sure that amongst them, you shall find one that catches your eye.”

_This again,_ Atem scowled. _The third time this week alone._

“I refuse them all.” Atem said immediately. He knew he would say the same if he were forced to stand and choose someone based on appearance alone.

His father let out a long, tired sigh. “Atem, you are the future ruler of this land. You must learn to place the kingdom before yourself. Sometimes that means making decisions you don’t favour.”

“Father, if I cannot rule by the side of the one I love, then what is the point?” Atem sighed, his breath coming far huffier than he meant it to.

“The point is to strengthen ties to our kingdom, which is far more important than marrying for love. We... cannot have everything we desire in life.”

Atem went to reply, but stopped himself before an insult could slip off his tongue. This was steadily heading into screaming territory, and he never won the argument once it did.

And he could hear how exhausted his father was over this matter as well.

“Will that be all, father?” He asked coolly, gritting the words out through his teeth.

“Yes, I believe it will be.” His father waved him away in dismissal, and Atem turned on his heel, forcing himself not to scream in frustration.

He strode out of the grand doors, feet angrily slapping into the lush carpet. He spared not even a second for the rich decoration along the halls, the luxurious wallpaper and hung portraits non-existent in his fury.

By the time he turned the corner into his section of the castle, some of his anger had diminished, but his core still radiated displeasure. Anyone smart enough to see the white-hot rage within was quick to dash out of his path and away from danger.

It was only once he was trotting into his room, the most private sanctuary in his chambers, that he felt the fight ebb from his body.

He sighed, sinking down to sit perched on the edge of the bed. His head followed, face lowering into his hands.

It felt like he was stuck in a never-ending cycle where his choices were laughably non-existent as he was forced to conform to his father’s ways.

_There is no way out. My free will is caught between the jaws of two ravenous beasts,_ Atem groaned, shaking his head. He could almost feel phantom claws against his skin, scraping and digging into flesh. He shivered, unable to stop himself.

Distraction came as a knock on the door, a voice quiet yet firm calling out his name and title.

“Come in.” Atem called, wincing at the exhaustion thick in his voice.

The door creaked open, the sound bizarrely out of place in the meticulously kept palace, and soon Atem was joined by another presence.

“I see the meeting with your father went well.” the other observed.

“’Well’ is an understatement and I think it rather fails to apply to this situation, Mahad.” Atem shot the man a pointed look with the half of his face visible to the other.

“You two really should work out a better way of communicating. These struggles are entirely pointless when you break it down.”

“I know he only means to teach me the duty a king must have to their kingdom, but when he presses these issues I cannot stand idly by and let him plan my entire future. What is the point in becoming king if I have no opportunity to make the decisions he trains me for!” Atem threw his hands up, launching off the bed in favour of pacing the room.

Mahad stood like a pillar in the middle of the room, staring straight ahead as he spoke. “If this ails you so, just wait until the day the throne passes to you. Your father is old, and he just wants to make sure his son will succeed him and have a safe chance to raise an heir.”

Atem paused for a moment, his feet resting heavily on his plush carpet. “I just wish he wouldn’t… do it in a way that denied me my freedom at the same time.”

“I take it you spoke of marriage pacts again?”

“Perceptive as always, my friend.”

“Nothing else provokes you as much as that does.” Mahad said pointedly.

“If I am that easy to see through, then I won’t make a very good king.” Atem groaned, feet continuing to pace.

“Come now, you have exceptional control of your emotions in court. I have known you for your whole life, and can accredit some of my prowess to that, I believe. You will make a fine king regardless, Prince Atem.”

Atem just grunted in response, staring holes into his expensive rugs. As much as he appreciated his friend trying to cheer him up, he needed some time alone, to nurse his wounded thoughts.

“I’m leaving the castle for a while.” He spoke up, setting his path towards the door to his chambers.

“Is that wise, sire? Your father will not be pleased if you go wandering on your own.”

“I won’t be long, dear friend.” Atem patted the hand on his shoulder, offering Mahad a smile. “I just go to clear my mind.”

“Then please be safe and return soon.” Mahad hesitated as if wanting to say more, but only nodded instead.

“Mahad, I’m only going to walk along the beach. You would have me believe I was going into battle with how distressed you sound.”

“It is appropriate for me to worry about my future king.” Mahad replied evenly.

“I’ll be back before nightfall, don’t worry.” Atem said before slipping out of the room, not waiting for further protest from his friend. 

His legs worked on autopilot to trail through the halls, leading him on paths he’d travelled more times than he had months in his life. The fine furnishings dwindled as he went, signalling a lower level of class to the area he trekked.

Several staircases brought him away from the high storeys of the palace and down to the grass and dirt. A side door finally saw him on the ground and outside, the heat from the sun greeting him warmly like an old friend.

A structure stood some distance away from the shiny walls of the castle, less grand but just as proud. The wooden panels intertwined and connected together snugly, laced like the bodies of lovers.

Atem chastised himself for his train of thought. Why must everything around him remind him of the one topic he was reluctant to discuss?

He threw the thought away, stepping into the stables. He was greeted almost immediately by an excited neigh, and he allowed himself a smile, approaching a stall.

“Hello there old friend. Sick of being cooped up here all day?”

A horse appeared from behind the wooden panels, giving Atem a hearty neigh in response. It tossed its head up and down, the dull sound of a hoof _thunk_ing into the gate.

Atem gave her a laugh, reaching out to stroke fingers through her mane.

“Who am I to deny you the chance to escape, if only for a few hours?” Atem grinned, swinging open the gate. “All right Mana, let’s go girl!”

Mana pushed past and out of her holding area, trotting over to the supplies. The smart girl was already impatiently pawing at the ground, head swinging around to watch Atem move closer.

He swerved around her, grabbing the saddle and quickly tightening straps around her belly to pull the weight into place before moving on to her bridal. He swung his legs over the side as he mounted, the leather seemingly moulding to fit his shape as a testament to their countless rides together.

Mana was eager to leave, leaping forward the moment Atem tapped his feet into her sides. She bolted from the stables, seemingly just as happy to leave behind the grand palace in favour of the spiralling hills in front of them.

She tore off across the grassy fields, hooves digging in and sending dirt flying behind them. Atem grinned as the wind whipped through his hair, slapping cold drafts in his face and freezing the tips of his ears.

He loved it; the freedom of movement, the way his horse jolted the saddle ever so slightly every time she hit the ground a little too hard. He’d be laughing freely if the winds weren’t so strong, so instead he kept his lips spread wide in excitement.

As quickly as it had come, the thrill ended. They neared their destination, Mana slowing down as if instinctively having known where Atem would go.

There was a place where the sea of grass met a sea of sand, and beyond that, the ocean itself. The sunlight beamed off the glittering water, drowning the yellows and greens of the land. They paled in comparison to such untouched beauty, the song of adventure and mystery forever echoing under those waves.

Atem left Mana on the grass plain, stepping down into the shifting sands. He picked his way carefully forward, lurching forward many times, forcing him to stop and regain his balance or risk falling over. The servants would not be happy cleaning his boots of the sand beginning to pile in the bottoms, each step heavier than the last as particles somehow managed to sneak in.

He managed to reach close to the water’s edge without sinking into the sand. Here it was harder, pounded flat from the touch of the ocean, and it stuck together to create a stronger base to stand on. Atem could confidently walk along the shoreline without adding more sand to his growing collection.

The prince kicked at the stones he found by his feet, watching them skid along the sand before disappearing beneath the shifting waves. Atem could relate, the pressure of his responsibilities often making him feel like he was running on sand, sinking further than he was making progress. The end goal was forever a spot on the horizon, never growing closer.

He would always be sinking on the fragile surface of his bloodline.

“How silly, to compare stones to a prince.” He mused aloud, a smile dancing on his lips. He reached down to pluck one off the sand, examining it closer.

The smooth surface was cool against his thumb, polished to perfection by the tide. He gave it an experimental toss, snatching it back out of the air before stroking it again.

He moved his arm back, holding the pebble above in a closed fist. Then he tossed it forward in a smooth motion, arm bending in a perfect arc to release the stone over the water.

It hit the soft waves without skipping once, sinking heavily down upon its first hit.

Atem paused, watching the ocean calmly continue its cycle. That was odd, he had expected such a smooth stone to skip merrily along the surface at least a few times before the sea claimed it.

His eyes searched around the area the pebble had disappeared, but the ever-shifting waves made it hard for his mind to remember the exact spot, and soon he couldn’t distinguish anything on the rippling surface.

Light caught on the edge where the sea met the sky, the sun’s gradual descent blessing the water with brilliant shades of warmth. Atem squinted his eyes to see the best he could, watching the waving disk as it began to leave, taking the day with it.

With nightfall on its way, Atem began to retrace his steps back to his horse.

* * *

He watched the prince leave, eyebrows drawn tight together on his face. His eyes blazed in fury, tracing fiery trails over the sand as they followed the prince’s path.

It had taken every inch of his self-restraint to stop himself from lashing out at the human. The idea of throwing the stone back at him had crossed his mind, but he’d smothered his rage, content to sulk in the shallows.

He gripped the smooth pebble in his hand, fingers gliding over its surface. Such a beautifully formed rock, the ocean careful in its creation of this gem of the land. He let his eyes fall down to the stone, fondness replacing anger. He couldn’t be angry at the rock for its assault, and he was equally unwilling to bring it into his petty ideas for revenge.

He let it fall from his hands, the gentle shoreline current taking it from his grip and sending it spiralling down to the seabed below.

_Humans have no love for the world around them,_ he scoffed, the sound eagerly muffled by the water around him. It beckoned to him to play with it, to sing his song so that the waves might join in.

_Later, perhaps,_ he told the ocean with a swish of his tail. The currents tried to tug him further into the depths, away from the danger of the shore.

He ignored them and turned back to the beach, his hair swishing behind his movements. The prince was gone, the expanse of sand void of interruption.

He gave a huff, pushing himself upward to break the surface. Water rolled off his face in rivulets, hair sticking in clumps to his cheeks and neck. He ignored it, focusing instead on swimming forward, using the push of the tide to guide him closer while fighting the pull.

Further down from where the prince had been walking was a tidepool, a formation of rock jutting upwards from the ocean. Yugi took care not to approach it too quickly, all too aware of the crushing sound of foam hitting the side, deadly spires and sharp edges shredding the waves below.

He wondered briefly if he would be able to clear the gap between the rock face and the crashing water.

“Yugi!” A soft voice called behind him.

He paused and glanced back, already recognizing who it was from the familiar tone. Sensing a potential argument, he shifted away from the current threatening to toss him into the rock.

“Ryou.” Yugi said, twisting in the water to face his approaching friend. “What brings you to the shore?”

Ryou gave him a pointed look. Yugi knew why he was here, and Ryou knew this as well. Still, Yugi gave a small smile, waiting for Ryou to give in first.

“Why do you _think_ I’m here?” Ryou rolled his eyes, arms crossed. “Where else in the kingdom is the crown prince right now?”

“Who knows? He could be anywhere, he’s a sneaky guy.” Yugi replied, nodding with fake seriousness.

“_Yugi_,” Ryou stressed his name, “you’re really not supposed to be hanging around the shoreline like this. You’re the future king, remember?”

“How can I forget when you all work _so_ hard to remind me every second of my life?”

“Be serious, please. Why do you feel the need to be here? And don’t use some lame excuse like last time, we both know your grandfather hasn’t sent you on a reconnaissance mission.”

“It’s not entirely false,” Yugi argued. “I was following a current when I saw the human prince on the shore-”

“The prince! Yugi, you know it is forbidden to-”

“Ryou, _relax_. He didn’t see me. Humans are too far wrapped in their own lives to notice anything outside of their life anyway.” Yugi decided to leave out the part where the prince had struck him with a stone, no matter how coincidental that hit had been. No need to deal with potentially sending Ryou into a heart attack.

“That doesn’t change the fact that one day they _may_ see you, and one day the _prince_ of the _humans_, their future _king_, might come to realise that his seaside kingdom isn’t as flawless as it could be.”

“Come now, Ryou, you’re exaggerating this.” Yugi rolled his eyes.

“Not at all. You know how they get, far too curious for their own good. If he saw you, there would be trouble, Yugi. You know what has happened in the past.”

“I know, there’s no need to remind me.” Yugi said, swatting his tail. He propelled himself past Ryou, heading into the deeper waters.

“Yugi! Hey, where are you going?” Ryou was quick behind him, his longer tail giving him easier momentum through the water. Even if the currents whispered joyously to Yugi, Ryou ripped through them with sheer force alone. Yugi almost envied him; being of shorter stature had its disadvantages where movement was concerned.

Ryou soon caught up with him, but Yugi wasn’t in the mood to listen to a lecture, positive he would be swimming into one later anyway.

He tuned out Ryou’s ramblings in favour of soaking up the ocean’s song, letting it envelope him and take his body wherever it wished on the currents.


	2. Chapter 2

The palace brimmed with servants scuttling around the halls, breathing life into the rigid air the dimly lit passages exuded. It was always lonely to walk down them in solitude, the walls growing closer together with a kind of looming deception. Even the servants, mostly immune to the vastness of the palace, did not like to linger in the halls, busily scurrying around to serve their chores as quickly as they could manage.

Atem hated the long corridors as well, but alas, with the prestige and need to show off their wealth, his father often held his meetings in the largest rooms of the palace, far away from Atem’s chambers. It left him with quite the trek each time he set out to entertain his father’s stern requests.

Requests. Not demands. Of course.

But luckily, today his father had seemingly granted him a small mercy, sparing the lectures in favour of kingdom affairs. Atem himself wasn’t required to entertain them just yet.

It meant the pleasant and rare experience of a day off.

He had chosen to nestle himself into a chair by the window in his room, a half finished cup of tea cooled on the table close by. Atem ignored it in favour of the words on the page, eyes scanning the story that played out in his mind.

Servants milled around his room, coming and going silently as their chores demanded. Atem paid them no mind, and they never disturbed the area he had taken in the corner.

All was quiet and peaceful, for a moment...

“Prince, may I enter?” Mahad’s soft voice called from beyond his closed doors

...and the peace was shattered.

“Yes!” Atem called, bookmarking his page and sliding his book closed. He had a feeling he wouldn’t be picking it back up again today, now that his silence was being broken.

The doors parted and Mahad strode inside. He offered Atem the customary bow, despite how many times he insisted his friend _didn’t_.

“My prince, I have a message for you.” Mahad said, back rigid in a formal stance.

“From my father, I presume?” Atem replied, adjusting his wrist cuff.

“You presume correctly.”

“Out with it, I suppose. I doubt I will enjoy this news, so best to deal the damage as soon as possible.”

Mahad sighed deeply, the kind that said he was loath to part with the information but was duty-bound to provide it. “You have a new suitor who has responded to your father’s letters. They will be arriving within a few days.”

“Of course they will.” Atem said flatly.

“And… that’s not all.”

He paused, head tilting slowly to the side. “There is more?”

Mahad frowned. “This is… not an order to be passed on, more of a speculation…”

“I trust your word, my friend. Please, tell me what you think.” Atem gestured for him to continue, his gaze burning with curiosity but his voice soft and encouraging.

Mahad sighed again, the words parting heavily from his lips. “I’m worried you may be forced into an arranged marriage if things continue the way they are. The king is desperate to tie off a bond to the next generation, and he is growing impatient with your… well, you know.”

“… Everyone, please leave.” Atem spoke softly, not letting his irritation seep through the sea of calmness on his face. The servants all snapped to attention, bowed in response, and filtered out of the room to go about their business elsewhere.

It left him and Mahad alone, Mahad’s strong presence a thick pillar of tension into the room as he stared at his prince. He didn’t move, knowing Atem had wished for him to stay despite the command.

Atem stood soundlessly, staring out over his window in brooding silence. He knew that given enough pause, Mahad would speak up with his concerns, but until then he was content to let the air simmer.

The sea glimmered with the shine from the sun, twinkling reflections over the surface rolling in time to the waves. Atem let his eyes travel, the repetitive patterns lulling him into a soft calmness and his limbs growing slack and relaxed.

“Atem.”

“Mahad.”

“My friend,” Mahad began; always a bad sign in Atem’s mind. “You know I sympathise with your feelings over an arranged marriage, and all the struggles you face.”

“I do.”

“And you know if there was any other way to meet in compromise, your father would allow it.”

Atem gritted his teeth, but the ocean’s indifference kept his irritation from returning. He let out a sigh, breathing in the salty air. “I’m sure he would.”

“Atem, love is hard to come by. It takes a while, even years, to develop those feelings enough for a person to realise what they mean. Your father does not have years to wait for a potential suitor to turn into a lover and possible partner.”

“I know, Mahad. It does not make the truth any easier to swallow, though. It is my life that this affects, and yet I have very little say in who will be chosen as my life partner.”

“It is the curse of royalty, I’m afraid.” Mahad’s eyes shone, and his expression was one of deep sympathy when Atem turned to regard him.

Atem let out a bitter chuckle. “We must atone for our wealth somehow. After all, if others go hungry while we eat on silver plates with silver forks, why should we be free to rule our lives so perfectly?”

“Atem,” Mahad sighed. Atem could sense the well-meant lecture coming, pushing away from his window to walk past.

The movement did as he’d intended, forcing Mahad to change his topic. “Where are you going now?” he asked.

“Out. I’ll be back later. Don’t follow me, please.” He added, shooting a meaningful glare at the other to back up his words. Mahad gave a polite bow, ever the gentleman. Ever a calm sea of understanding.

“If you have not returned by dusk-”

“I am well aware of the rules set in place, Mahad,” Atem groaned, then softened his voice. “I just… need to escape these walls sometimes. More often than not it seems, these days. Please.”

“I understand.” Mahad said.

“I will return before dusk.” Atem promised, his feet already impatiently leading him out the door.

He glided down to the stables, where Mana seemed to sense his urgency to leave and adopt it as her own.

She took him away, the palace growing less imposing and smaller the further she galloped along the coast. The path to the beach was second nature to her now, and Atem barely had to direct her to reach the edge of the sandy slopes.

In no time he was once again standing by the water, small waves lapping around his shoes, daring him to step closer and drench them in sea water.

He let the breeze push salty air past him, breathing in deeply despite the tang. It felt good to shrug off his worries and insecurities, letting the wind take them far away. For just a moment in time, he could pretend he wasn’t the heir to the throne and that his life hadn’t been written away before it hardly began.

Suddenly he saw movement in the corner of his eye, and instinctively turned his head to see better. He was rewarded with a harsh object colliding with his brow and staggered back, yelping loudly.

His eyes sought out his assailant, locking onto a small stone sitting atop the sand directly in front of him. He bent down to grab it, only for a voice to startle him into standing again.

“Next time you go throwing stones, watch where you aim them!” It called out to him.

“What? Who said that?” Atem whipped his head up, the stone forgotten as he stared out at the waves.

And then immediately froze.

Floating there, above the surface of the water, was a man. His arms were crossed, a scowl on his face as he stood tall- well, as tall as Atem could imagine, he guessed, considering just his torso reached above the water.

How had he not seen someone else in the area? He cursed his inattention, angry he’d not even had the foresight to scan the beach for potential swimmers.

But this was his spot, his secluded beach, where he had never seen another person here in all the years since he’d first stepped onto the sands.

“Who are you?” Atem asked, rising to his full height to stare down at the man.

“No one of consequence to you.” The man said smoothly, a hand swiping loose hair out of his face.

“This is a private beach, and I haven’t seen another soul here for many years. Forgive me for being more than a little curious.”

The man snorted. “’Private beach?’ What does that imply?”

“It is directly connected to the Sennen estate.” Atem said, raising an eyebrow. The man gave him a blank look, nothing apparently registering with him.

“Sennen estate?”

Atem paused, smoothing a mask over his shock. How could anyone not know of the kingdom’s ruling house? There was nothing along this coast for miles and _miles_ that wasn’t under their rule.

“Have you perhaps injured yourself while swimming? I find it hard to believe someone so close to the palace wouldn’t know of the ruling family. Nor it’s prince, when he’s standing in front of you.”

The man’s face darkened, and Atem swore he could feel the wind drop several degrees. “And yet you know not of my kingdom and _its_ ruling family. Perhaps it is you who has damaged his brain.”

Atem stiffened at the retort. The way the man chastised him so freely spoke volumes of how much power he thought he wielded. _Or maybe how little he cares for his life_, Atem noted. Though something about this man told Atem it was more likely the former.

“This land that touches the sea stretches for miles in both directions, and the nearest kingdom isn’t for miles past that.”

“Then you’d had better brush up on your knowledge again, because I am currently in _my_ kingdom. Can you say the same, _young_ _prince_?” The man’s voice was deep, and yet had a playful air to it that promised trouble on Atem if he turned his back.

The tide was slowly going out, Atem realised, as the waves no longer lapped by his feet. He also noticed how the man had been receding with the water line. _Odd, is he perhaps swimming naked? Why does he not stand to speak to me, when he’s clearly so upset with my presence here?_

“Why do you not come out of the water?” Atem asked, hearing it come out as more of a challenge. He kept his posture straight and regal to back up his authority.

“Are you prepared for the answer to that, prince?” the man smiled, showing his teeth. Even from the distance he’d made between them, Atem could see how sharp his teeth were. _Those canines are horrifying,_ Atem stilled. _He could easily pierce skin with those… _Perhaps there was some strange truth to the man’s words, something or some force above that Atem shouldn’t be playing with.

But staying was better than heading home early.

“Show me.” Atem replied, tilting his chin up.

The man’s smile widened to show more teeth. He swam forward, body cutting through the water with ease. The waves seemed to grow smaller as he did, until his arms reached out to fist in the sand. And then Atem saw more than his torso.

Indeed, he could see the curve of his back, and the scales as it descended into a brilliant length of tail, the translucent fins at the end sticking up out of the water.

“You’re… You’re a…” Atem collapsed to his knees, hands digging into the loose sand. _No… can this be real? A merman!_

The merman shook his head, hair whipping back and forth, heavy with water. “I can’t say I was expecting the prince of the humans to fall to his knees at the mere sight of me, but I suppose I do have that kind of presence.”

Atem shivered. There was a sweet melody to the merman’s voice that overlaid the power underneath. He wondered how many had fallen to the smile in that tone, the whispers of a better life hiding the poison being spilt. He had to admit the temptation to let himself be drawn in was greater the longer he heard the other speak.

_We have just met and yet he holds power over me, how did I not notice that before?_ Atem pushed his mask of royalty back into place, his face a blank slate once again._ I must be careful with the situation I’ve found myself in._

“Who are you?” he asked, crouching down uncomfortably in the wet sand.

“No one of importance to you.”

“I have never seen a merman before,” Atem mused aloud, unable to stop his eyes from roaming over the merman’s form. “I thought they were the product of myths and tales.”

“All stories have a grain of truth to them,” the merman said, clearly not pleased by Atem’s wandering eyes. “You are doing nothing to disprove the rumours of your own kind.”

“Sorry.” Atem averted his eyes to the sand instead, no longer able to see the other’s expression. “This is just… a bit of a shock.”

“I’d imagine so.”

Atem nodded, licking his lips. He could taste salt, the air around them thick with it. “You mentioned something before about throwing stones,” he chose to ask, the previous statement having caught him off guard. “What did you…?”

The man snorted, rolling his eyes. “The other day you threw a rock at my head, and I’d like to inform you that it hurt. A lot. I don’t appreciate acts of violence and neither does the ocean, thank you very much.”

“Oh… that explains a lot, actually.”_ Like why the stone didn’t skip on the water like it should’ve._ “What were you doing so close to the surface?” _As if you were spying on me._

“It’s none of your business what I do in my domain, thanks. I owe you no explanation.”

Atem bristled, his mind telling him the words of a foreign person were a challenge. He forced his body to relax instead, reminding his fighting urge that this was no _human_ prince. Human rules didn’t apply to them, by the sound of it.

The man suddenly swung his head to the side, eyes darting to the side. “I must go.” He muttered to himself. Atem opened his mouth to speak, but the merman’s voice cut him off.

“Take care, young prince. Perhaps we will meet again.” The merman flashed him a brilliant smile, pushing back from the watery sand, the waves completely enveloping his stunning tail.

“Wait! Can’t I know your name?” Atem shot to his feet, prepared to lunge into the shallows if it would delay their parting. He knew of the danger the merman’s territory presented, where he’d be vulnerable, but for a split second he was shocked to realise he didn’t care.

“You must earn that, dear prince.” The merman said, and then he ducked his head under the surface, and Atem lost sight of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Swimmer Yugi would like to battle! He sends out a rock- wait what that's not a Pokemon...


	3. Chapter 3

He didn’t mean to tease the prince so much, really. He had no malicious intentions to drive the other to an early grave, or to force him to abandon his kingdom for something worse.

But Yugi wasn’t one to pass up the opportunity to play a game on another, and the human prince was prime material.

He was just so young, and fragile. Sure, Yugi had seen the blank face of royalty, but having worn one every day himself, Yugi knew the signs of another merely wearing a mask. Inside, the prince had a kind of softness to him, Yugi could tell. He wondered what it was like, how it would feel to see the mask drop to reveal the being underneath.

He was intrigued, that much was for sure. He wanted to dig his hands in and see how far he would get before the prince snapped back at him. He wondered how bright those fiery eyes would shine with a blaze of anger fuelling them.

He mused, letting the currents pull him back towards the underwater palace and gently guiding him to one of the entrances. He pulled away to slip inside, tail propelling him forward.

The marble halls were a cool smooth white, the ripples from the ocean currents dancing over them in swirling patterns. Yugi barely spared a small glance and a smile for the fine architecture, far too busy for his normal level of appreciation.

With the time he had essentially wasted on the surface with the prince, he had allowed the meeting of the council to begin without his presence; an act most unforgivable considering his status. It would look hideous on his record- had he cared ever much for such a thing- to appear late to a king’s meeting. It showed a blatant disrespect for the king, and depending on how one chose to take that, could be borderline insubordination.

The whole notion was utter garbage to Yugi, about as worthy of his regard as the rotten wood that floated on the surface from the wreckage of a ship. Their customs were often just that: ancient wreckages.

He came to a grand set of doors, made of the same marble as the floor and walls. As heavy as they appeared, they weren’t particularly thick, and Yugi parted them with ease.

A long table stretched out in front of him, dominating the room. Merpeople lined the chairs on either side, all heads turning to Yugi as he entered.

At the head of the table, in a giant, shining throne sat the king; Yugi’s grandfather, Solomon.

“Grandfather, council,” Yugi bent his torso in a swift bow, fluttering down into the available seat at the other end of the table. Directly across from the king.

“Yugi, thank you for actually joining us today and showing an interest in your kingdom.” Solomon regarded his grandson, and Yugi smiled innocently back.

“By all means, grandfather, please continue,” he dipped his head, the perfect image of elegance.

Solomon sighed, drawing attention back to him. “Very well, continue the report, Elise.”

One of the council members nodded, straightening her back and speaking. “Your grace, there has been movement on the surface near the shark hunting grounds.”

“Humans? They dare to risk their lives where sharks dwell?” Another member, Furi, spoke up.

“It has been many years since the humans traversed those waters, not since the sharks actively pursued them. What has changed?” another asked.

“Perhaps a shift in their community? We have no way of knowing if the monarchy ashore has changed in any way.” Elise commented.

“Should we send out patrols?” Furi suggested.

“I doubt it will be needed,” Solomon replied, a hand to his beard. “I do not think this is currently an issue. What say you, Yugi?”

All eyes turned to Yugi, and he subconsciously straightened. “I think instances should be reported, to keep track of any potential problems. The sharks should be alerted too, if they are willing to listen. If the humans are indeed testing old boundaries, then we shall test them back.”

Solomon’s eyes shone happily. “Very good. Now, if there are no more matters left to discuss, this meeting is adjourned.” Solomon swept his hand through the air, signalling everyone to leave. Yugi wriggled upwards from his chair, intent on blasting out of the room when Solomon spoke again.

“Except you, grandson.”

Yugi groaned, swinging his head around with a frown. “Yes, grandfather?”

Solomon raised an expectant eyebrow.

Yugi breathed deeply, gills fluttering with the effort. “Okay, I was out exploring and knew full well I should have been here instead. I’m sorry.”

Solomon’s gaze turned soft, and he smiled. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it? But you’ve already explored every grain of sand in the kingdom, my boy. So where were you, then?”

“I was letting the water guide me, and the ocean took me close to the shoreline. Don’t fear, I wasn’t spotted,” Yugi added quickly when he saw worry flash through his grandfather’s eyes.

“Yugi, you know it’s dangerous close to shore. If you were caught in a fisherman’s net-”

“Grandpa, I’m way too fast for some slow human to catch me. I’m also _stronger_ than any old human. And besides, the fisherman never come that way, not when the palace is just to the west of the beaches.”

“You were close to the human’s castle, then?”

Yugi winced. He hadn’t meant to give that away. “I meant-”

“Just be careful, would you? You know how horrible it would be if something happened to you. I couldn’t stand to see you hurt.”

Seeing the pain in Solomon’s gaze, Yugi offered him a smile. “I’ll be fine, grandpa. You know I’ve been doing this for years now, and I’m always careful. The humans have never seen me, and they never will.”

“Just come to meetings more often, would you? I can’t have you floundering around once I’m gone because you missed something important in favour of singing with the ocean.” Solomon tossed him a wink, and Yugi’s ears burnt.

“I don’t always sing with the ocean! And don’t tell people I do that, it’s _embarrassing_.” Yugi hissed, balling his fists by his sides. “And besides, I’ll have you know I learn a lot of things from singing with the ocean. It’s very easy to coax information from the currents. You should try it.”

“Do you really want to hear this old voice singing?” Solomon chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t think it’s for me, my boy.”

“If you enjoy it, then no one’s opinion should stop you, grandfather. All work and no play will make you dull.”

“Oh how dare you, assuming I’m ‘dull’,” Solomon snorted, waggling a finger at Yugi. “Sitting on this throne all day isn’t much fun, young man, and one day you’ll realise that too.”

“I dread my initiation.” Yugi said, deadpanned.

“Yup, just like me at your age,” Solomon smiled.

Yugi was interrupted before he could speak next by someone entering the room. His eyes lit up when he saw Anzu, his closest friend.

“Ah, Anzu, just who I needed,” Solomon grunted, waving a hand towards Yugi. “Would you mind repeating my lecture to my grandson? Your voice is so much sweeter, I’m sure he’ll listen to you.”

“You speak of me as if I am not here, grandfather,” Yugi rolled his eyes, tossing Anzu a quick smile before his serious face fell back into place.

“What seems to be the problem?” Anzu asked.

“For starters, it would be nice if the future ruler would show more interest in council meetings. Especially when he must appoint his own members once he takes the throne.” Solomon frowned deeply, his eyes trailing to Yugi.

Yugi stiffened jutting his chin out and keeping his back straight. “I’m right here, you know!”

“I’ll see what I can do, your grace,” Anzu smiled, hand curling around one of Yugi’s biceps. “Come on, your princeliness.”

Yugi needed no further encouragement, swishing his tail to swiftly propel him out of the room. Anzu was right by his side, her tail longer and faster than his.

As soon as they were a good distance from the palace, Anzu promptly slapped Yugi on the shoulder.

“Ow- hey! You can’t just slap your prince like that!” Yugi scowled, swerving away from the danger zone.

“No, but I sure as hell can slap my_ best friend_ like that,” Anzu put her hands on her hips, ear fins flared out as far as they would go.

“Uh-oh, the lecture pose! I’m in for it now.” Yugi made to dart away, but Anzu’s arm shot out to grab his elbow.

“Nope, not today mister. I know the king didn’t give you a lecture, and someone needs to make sure something gets through your gigantic skull.”

“He told me enough, and besides, I’m all worn out today. Can’t this wait? Can we reschedule the lecture?”

Anzu raised an eyebrow that spoke volumes of her disbelief. “We both know a reschedule will never happen.”

“You got me there,” Yugi laughed awkwardly, eyes darting to the side. “But seriously, I’ve heard enough, Anzu. If I promise to attend the next meeting from the beginning, will you drop it?”

“All right, but if you don’t follow through with that you’ll get _two_ lectures.”

“Two? Ouch, noted,” Yugi winced. Anzu laughed, slapping Yugi over the arm.

“Anzu, stop! I’m tender!”

“You sure as hell don’t act like it!”

“Yeah, because I’m a prince! We princes don’t show weakness,” Yugi puffed his chest out, smirking. “And besides, the cute innocent look just doesn’t work on me.”

“Are you sure? Because I distinctly remember during your juvenile years how pudgy faced you were.” Anzu said, pitching her voice like she was speaking to a child. Yugi felt his cheeks burn, feeling hot even in the warm water, despite the way the water around them was warm.

“Like you can talk, you had a little heart face too, you know!”

“Yeah, and then I grew out of that and got muscles,” Anzu laughed, lifting up her arms to _swish_ them through the water.

“You do have very nice arm muscles,” Yugi admitted, stroking his chin thoughtfully as he stared at them.

“You’re no pushover yourself, Yugi.” Anzu said, poking one of Yugi’s shoulders. “I know you do a hell of a lot of lifting when you’re exploring out there in the deep ocean.”

“Who told you? My secrets are escaping,” Yugi said jokingly.

“You’re not the only one who can sense things on the currents.”

“Yeah, it’s annoying. Like having a little sister than can peek into your room at any time. So evil.”

Anzu smacked the back of his head. “I wouldn’t have to spy on you if you’re just tell us where you’re going half the time. You’ll give your grandfather a heart attack one day with how much he worries about you. And don’t get me started on Ryou.”

“Ah Ryou’ll live. He’s used to my shenanigans.” Yugi chuckled.

“One of these days, Yugi,” Anzu rolled her eyes. She flickered her tail to swim above him. “Speaking of Ryou actually, I think he’s out practicing his magic right now, in ‘secret’ again. Want to go watch and crash the party?”

“In the usual place?”

Anzu nodded, and Yugi beamed a smile. “I’m already there, let’s go!”

They shot off through the water, leaving the grand palace behind to tear into the open ocean currents.

* * *

For once, Atem found himself pleased to be given a task. Especially when it meant he could leave behind the walls of the castle and dash away on his horse. Even if Mahad was there as well, meaning he couldn’t fully let loose, but it was still better than an escort. At least with a close friend, he could allow his shoulders to relax until they reached the town and he was forced to resume his princely posture.

Unfortunately, the ride into the town of Nawan was only a small stretch of time, and they were soon thundering down the main street. People scattered off the road to allow their prince a breezy entrance. The cobblestone road paved around two rows of houses, broadening out into a circle at the end, marking the centre of the town.

“I cannot believe I have to do all of this for a man I have no desire to even speak to,” Atem grunted, reining his horse to a gentle trot.

“One of the many sacrifices of being a prince, I’m sure.” Mahad replied, his horse coming up beside Atem’s.

They both halted near the centre, dismounting and tethering their horses to a horizontal pole nearby.

A path off to the side led straight down to the seaside, where the port was situated. Wooden houses built on stilts and poles, with a series of piers scattered down the shoreline, sticking out across the water.

Atem had no intention of going building to building looking for someone to represent the fisherman, so instead he waited on the sand for people to come to him.

The glitter of his crown soon attracted people and their awkward half bows, mutters of ‘my prince’ reaching his ears.

“I wish to speak to the fishermen regarding a request from the king.” Atem said.

In truth, a messenger could have easily been dispatched to the town to relay the king’s wishes, but Atem’s father had suggested Atem go, to put weight behind the words. Atem had eagerly agreed, the chance to escape even for a few hours too good to pass up.

Someone stepped forward, clearing their throat awkwardly. “What may this request be, my liege?”

“The king requests the fishermen to catch shark within the next week. There are esteemed visitors arriving soon and we are told one of their favourite dishes is shark. The crown would appreciate if you would go hunting for some.”

“Shark is very dangerous to hunt,” the fisherman said, their voice betraying their concern even in their prince’s presence. “Their hunting grounds are outside our usual fishing routes.”

“Does no one fish nearby at all that would be willing to do this for our king?” Atem asked.

The fisherman paused, exchanging a brief look with another.

“Well, actually…” The other person stepped forward, leaning on a spear. “I heard someone muttering about pulling up a load near the hunting grounds the other day.”

“Excellent, please inform this person of the king’s wishes, and all the other fishermen. I would suspect we would need a week’s worth of shark to keep our guest satisfied. You will be paid handsomely for your contribution to the crown.”

“It will be done, my liege.” The fishermen bowed, and Atem gave a satisfied nod.

“Good day then.”

Atem left the port gratefully, returning to where their horses were milling. He quickly hauled himself up onto his mare, taking the reins into his hands.

“We’re done here Mahad, let us be off,” Atem kicked his horse’s sides, and she sprung into motion, Mahad quick to follow.

They set back out along the road, the horse’s hooves thundering over the dirt and rock. The path winded through the scattered woodland, shifting with a curve to take them towards the ocean, where they rode high above the cliffs.

As they rode, Atem felt his head turn almost subconsciously towards the ocean. He breathed in the salty scent, eyes flickering over the rolling waves.

“What is it you search for, my prince?” Mahad asked, leaning forward on his horse to regard Atem.

“It’s nothing,” Atem muttered, turning to his friend and offering a smile. “Just thinking about things, and the ocean seemed a good place to consider them with.”

“Indeed, it does wonders to clear the mind,” Mahad nodded, his attention moving back to the path ahead of them.

Atem glanced to the side once more before forcing himself to look ahead. He hadn’t expected to see anything anyway.

* * *

Yugi curled himself against the seabed. Soft sand fluttered up around his tail, shining brightly from the sun above. The shoreline was close, meaning the surface above wasn’t far away either. It was enough that the ocean wouldn’t tug him anywhere, simply content to swirl the sand up around him.

Yugi allowed himself to rest, content for a moment. He closed his eyes, letting his gills and hair soak up the water’s touch.

He found his mind swaying towards the beach behind him, and his encounter with the prince upon it. Did the prince ever go swimming? Did he know how pleasant the current surrounding the shoreline was? Could he sense it with his dulled human senses? Yugi briefly wondered if he could teach a human to expand their perception, but promptly squashed the thought.

He had no time to entertain such thoughts, even in moments of rest. Contact was forbidden, as a starting point, and he had already broken that rule, although the human hadn’t touched him. He hadn’t been that foolish. There was curiosity there, not so much as to allow reckless behaviour, but enough that Yugi had revealed himself to spur a reaction.

Surprisingly, he had heard no whispers on the currents about him defiling the ocean. He had expected there to be more of an uproar; the humans weren’t loved by the sea, after all, and him revealing himself to the _prince_ of them, putting himself in danger, was not something to be taken lightly, despite all his caution. And yet there had been nothing, nor any warning signs since.

“Do you perhaps approve of this, then?” he asked the ocean. He received no response, but a slight shift in the currents, more sand crawling over his tail.

“That’s not an answer,” Yugi huffed, even though he knew the ocean would not give him such easily identifiable signs. _Nature_, he rolled his eyes. _Always such a tease._

“Yugi!” Ryou’s voice called through the water. Yugi glanced at his approaching friend, smacking his tail against the seabed to prop himself into the open water.

“Ryou.” He greeted, readjusting his waving hair away from his face.

“You are hard to find, mister,” Ryou said, sounding out of breath. His gills worked fast on his neck, visibly opening and closing harshly.

“Did you swim all the way out here just for me? Ryou, I’m honoured.” Yugi chuckled. “Don’t exhaust yourself though.”

“I have little choice, when I ask Anzu where you are and even she doesn’t know.”

“That’s true I did sneak away quite stealthily today,” Yugi hummed, tapping his chin.

“Why are you back near the shore?”

“It’s a comfy place to rest.”

“Yugi, when are you going to tell me what’s got you so invested in this beach? You can’t pretend I’m wrong either, because there’s nothing else along this stretch of ocean except for the shoreline, ‘comfy spot’ be damned.” Ryou crossed his arms pointedly, staring Yugi down.

“I’m intrigued; the ocean keeps tugging me towards it. I believe it expects something of me, and it’s to do with the land.”

“The ocean does?” Ryou sighed, his eyes softening. “The ocean isn’t always right, Yugi. Besides, not everything it does is some kind of sign of destiny. It can be dangerous, too.”

Yugi adverted his eyes, tail drawing closer in a subconscious gesture. “I know, I’m sorry. That was ground I shouldn’t have treaded.”

“It’s all right. But we should be moving on anyway. You never know when humans with prying eyes will be passing by on the land.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right-” Yugi stopped mid-sentence, feeling a pressure change in the water. The current shifted ever so slightly, the waves above slapping the surface heavier. It almost felt like the ocean was… excited? It tugged at him, encouraging him in a new direction.

“Hold on Ryou,” Yugi propelled himself forward, tilting upwards to burst through the surface.

He swam around in a circle, looking for whatever had caused the ocean to stir so. He heard the distant sound of a loud beast snorting, drawing his attention to the cliff tops in the distance.

His eyes widened as they locked onto the form of the human prince atop some long legged creature Yugi had never seen before. So far away, and yet unmistakable all the same.

He felt a flutter in his chest, a moment where his heartbeat went irregular, and he grinned. Excitement flushed through his body, and he wished the prince wasn’t riding so high up, so he might be able to tease him and alert him to his presence for a precious second of eye contact.

“Yugi, there’s a human! Get down!” Ryou hissed, his hands and weight forcing Yugi below the waves.

“I know it is,” Yugi mumbled once they were submerged. His hair waved in front of him, forcing him to thread fingers through it to keep it from obscuring his view of Ryou’s face.

“We can’t afford to be seen by him! These humans are too young to know about our people. I could just image how much of a heart attack your grandfather would have if the human’s found us, let alone _you_.”

“They would never have noticed us; their eyes are too dull to see that far away. And besides, if they did, nothing’s to stop a woeful tale formed of how a human drowned in swift waters.” Yugi’s lips curled into a smile, and Ryou looked shocked.

“Yugi… you know we aren’t allowed-”

“Yes, yes, I know Ryou, you worry too much!” Yugi laughed, waving him off.

“I worry because you don’t, and despite all your claims at being careful, I have to worry because you just willingly stuck your head above the waves to see humans!”

“Wouldn’t you do the same? They’re so weird and fascinating. I bet you could snap one in half so easily.”

“That’s not the discussion at hand here!”

“Aren’t you curious? Has anyone ever tried? Maybe we could make a fake one and try sometime.” Yugi grinned. “You can’t tell me you’re not even the tiniest bit curious about this, Ryou.”

Ryou sighed, dragging a hand down his face, silver hair shining merrily in the sunlight. “Look… a _fake_ one, _maybe, _but no more. Don’t play on my hobbies like this, Yugi, you’ll get us both into trouble.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll drag Anzu down with us too.”

“More like Anzu will stop us before we can even begin. She has an _actual_ job in the kingdom, unlike me.”

“Oh how dare, you assume much, young Ryou! Anzu can be tempted to the dark side, it just takes some fine work.” Yugi smirked.

Ryou laughed. “Our future king is going to be terrifying with how persuasive he is. I fear for our enemies.”

“Good, because they should be scared,” Yugi spun around in the water, facing another direction. “Come on, let’s go track Anzu down and get this party happening!”

“Oh dear, you were serious?” Ryou balked.

“You bet!” Yugi grinned, slapping his tail and speeding off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next three days, until Monday, will have no updates, as I have a convention that will require my full attention for. See u again on mon! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back! Thank u for bearing with the weekend absence. I had a rly good con it was a ton of fun!! The fic will now be a chapter a day until its finished~ <3

The morning air was crisp and chilly, floating in to softly rustle in Atem’s chambers. Several clothing articles and sheets of paper had already fallen victim to the gusts. He knew he could just close the huge windows to stop it, but the breeze brought with it the fresh, rich scent of the ocean, and Atem loved to breathe it in.

_I wonder where Mahad is. I’m sure Mana would love to go riding today,_ Atem hummed quietly to himself_. I suppose Mahad must be away on a mission, or a teaching lesson._ He’d just have to go by himself, then.

A sudden soft knock on his door startled him, and Atem silently swore.

“Come in,” he called. The door creaked open and a servant shuffled in.

“What is it?” Atem asked, wrapping silk bands around his waist.

“Your father has summoned you to the main hall. The count arrives.” The servant bowed as they spoke.

“Oh, that was today?” _Shit_, Atem winced. “Very good. Thank you, you can tell him I’ll be down in a moment.”

The servant bowed again before hurrying out of the room. Atem groaned, hastening his preparations. He had been going to go for a ride inland today to take his mind off everything, but he had completely forgotten he was supposed to meet the count and entertain them today instead. _Great. There goes a perfectly good day, wasted,_ he sighed.

After slapping on as much dazzling jewellery as he could manage, Atem rushed through the palace down to the front entrance. A crowd was already gathering, servants at the doorway ready to open the giant wooden slabs, and several lined around the walls to be called upon at a moment’s notice.

Aknamkanon was standing directly in front of the doors, by the stairs. His father turned to him as Atem approached, and as soon as Atem saw the look on his face he knew immediately what his father would say.

“Atem, you’re la-”

“I know, I’m sorry,” Atem cut him off quickly. “I didn’t forget I was just taking a while to don my clothes.”

“Of course,” Aknamkanon sighed, sounding anything but convinced. “Well the important thing is you’re here now, and the count is still outside with his carriage.”

“Your majesty, lord Kaiba is ready to meet now!” one of the servants called out. Aknamkanon turned to Atem, his lips curling upwards.

“Perfect timing.”

“Can’t say I didn’t make it on time,” Atem straightened his posture, arms ridged at his sides.

Servants pulled the grand doors open, and a stream of people walked through. They were led by a tall imposing figure, eating up the distance between the entryway and the edge of the stairs Atem and his father stood at.

He had to be the tallest man Atem had ever seen, and it didn’t help that Atem himself was considered very short.

Pants seemed to stretch over legs for miles, sitting flush down the bottom over pointed shoes. A coat hung limp over his shoulders, hugging a broad chest puffed up with a lacy blouse. From the centre of the lace hung a broach flashing in shades of brilliant ice, the same colour as the gems the man had for eyes.

“It is an honour, my prince,” the nobleman bowed, and yet still managed to be taller than Atem.

“The honour is mine, my lord,” Atem replied, all too aware of how stiff his tone was. He saw his father straighten beside him, and he didn’t have to look to know Aknamkanon was giving him a pointed stare. _I’m being polite, what more does he ask for?_ Atem inwardly sighed.

He returned Seto’s bow, as deeply as he would with royalty. Glancing up, he noticed a pleased tip of Seto’s lips, and he nodded down at Atem.

“Very good,” Aknamkanon hummed. “Perhaps Atem could show you around our castle, Lord Kaiba? Get you familiar with the lands and give you a chance to get to know each other?”

Atem felt his nails dig further into his skin, and resisted the urge to grimace. _Be polite. Remain dignified. If I blow off at this blue blood father will lock me up forever. _

“I would be more than happy to, father,” he replied evenly.

“Perhaps tomorrow? I grow tired from my journey and wish to rest,” Seto said.

“Of course,” Aknamkanon gestured to the side, and a flutter of servants stepped forward to bow. “See the count to his chambers, please.”

Seto followed the staff off through a side door, his entourage shuffling after him. Atem felt himself visibly relax, and he let out a quick sigh of relief.

Only to have it immediately taken away by his father’s tone.

“Atem…”

“That doesn’t bode well,” he winced. “Yes, father?”

“Please, be serious son. We need this alliance to keep our kingdom strong.”

“I know, father, you don’t have to keep reminding me,” Atem pointed out gently. The smile was long gone from his father’s face, and the air between them was once again frigid.

“Atem, this is your last chance. I expect you to ask for his hand in marriage before he is scheduled to leave.”

Atem let his anger curl his fingers into fists, shaking slightly. “I understand.”

His father sighed, a hand to his face. “It’s for the good of the kingdom, Atem.”

“I understand,” he repeated dully.

“You may go.”

Atem bowed, briskly walking out.

He completely avoided heading back to his quarters, instead making a beeline for the stables. He wasn’t in the mood to deal with anyone else, and he knew Mahad might be lurking around, ready to launch into a lecture or lesson on something Atem had little regard for right now.

Mana took him down the path to the beach without prompting, like she knew it was exactly where he needed to go.

He gave her a grateful pat as he slid off, taking the path down to the one place he seemed to spend most of his time at.

Once down on the sand, he gave the ocean a cautious look, but there were no bright eyes staring back at him, and no half-human half-fish people to be seen._ Looks like the merman isn’t here today,_ Atem thought. He wondered if they frequented the beach, and maybe he had just missed seeing them each time he was down there. _But I’ve been visiting for years, and I’ve lived here all my life. Why has this fish person not showed up until now?_

The concern was there in the back of his mind, but he pushed it away. He had more important things to worry about.

Like getting married.

Seto was expected to leave in just over a week’s time. By then, Atem had to fulfil his duty and get engaged to the wealthy count. He had a week left to enjoy his life before reality came crashing down in the cruellest way possible.

And he had to spend that week entertaining the very same person who was making his world split in half.

“Will I ever find peace? Am I forced to live like this forever?” Atem buried his head in his hands, letting a few hot tears leak out. “I never asked to be a prince…” His legs refused to hold him longer, and so he fell to his knees, sinking into the sand.

“Maybe I’m being too extreme,” he muttered to himself. “But then, it feels like there’s nothing else I can be but that…”

The wind played with his hair, tossing his bangs around his face and filling his nose with salt. He let the gentle lull of the waves relax his mood, listening to the soft sighs of the ocean. The still atmosphere gradually loosened his tightness he held in his body, and he felt his stress slipping away.

He shook his head, threading fingers through his soft hair. “You’re losing your touch, Atem...” Grains crushed against his pants, pressing through to his skin and it was beginning to feel irritating to Atem. He rose from the ground, patting off the fabric.

Sand crunched beneath something heavy, and Atem tensed, his hand reaching for his belt. There was nothing there, his fingers brushing against leather instead of iron. _Shit…!_ In his emotional rush to leave the palace, he had forgotten to bother to take a weapon.

He scanned the cliff top, but he couldn’t see any sign of someone approaching. But then, the sound had to have come from _somewhere_-

The sand shuffled again, and Atem spun around. This time he faced the shoreline, and noticed the reflective shine of fish scales as the merman was suddenly there, shifting himself into a sitting position among the water’s edge.

“Oh, it’s you…” Atem sighed, letting his shoulders relax. “You scared me…”

“Are you having a pity session for one?” the merman arched an eyebrow, seemingly ignoring Atem’s words.

“I… no, it’s- wait,” Atem scowled. “What does that mean?”

“You’re crying to yourself,” they pointed out, shrugging. “That thing humans do when they have those emotional outbursts, I’ve heard.”

“And mermaids don’t?” Atem snorted, crossing his arms. He could feel his internal balance shift to aggression already. As much as he wanted to deny it, feeding into it to argue with the merman felt better than dealing with the alternative.

“I’m not a maid, you brute, I’m royalty,” the merman hissed. “Get your terminology right. I would think a prince would know that.”

“Fine, whatever,” Atem sighed. “What do you want?”

“Tell me what ails you so.”

“Nothing,” Atem said, too quickly.

“You take me for a fool to believe that. How about the truth now?” the merman scoffed, pinning Atem with a demanding stare.

“I… you’re right,” Atem snorted. “I’m sorry, but I’m not much in the mood to talk.”

“You’re obviously upset, so what’s upsetting you?”

“You don’t care,” Atem said pointedly. “Why should I bother telling you?”

“Just tell me,” the merman grunted. “You obviously need to talk about it.”

“Fine. It’s a… suitor.”

“Is that all?”

“I suppose from that reaction you don’t have suitors forced upon you?”

“Of course not. Marriage isn’t important to us. I am more than capable of ruling a kingdom while single. I have a council to take care of other matters. Don’t you?”

“I’m afraid not. There are nobles of the region, barons and earls and the like, but all of the decisions are made by the reigning sovereign.”

“Well that’s a tough system. What if your monarch is not fit to rule over everything? I have no real knowledge of architecture, so how am I supposed to make decisions based on creating new buildings that will survive the currents? The storms? Your system is flawed.”

“It is tough, but if I may be so bold, you are a complete outsider looking into something you clearly have no understanding of. I would appreciate if you could perhaps be a little _nicer_ about it.”

“If your system is flawed, it’s flawed. No amount of pleasantries will change that.”

“True, but it still makes you sound more like an asshole.”

The merman paused, his nose crinkling up. “That’s a human insult, isn’t it?”

“It is.”

The merman shot him a dark glare. “Then I would advise you to not say such things to the prince of the merfolk. I have a reputation, you know.”

“For what? Showing up places and insulting people? I could believe that.” Atem’s hands found his hips, standing with feet wide apart while staring down his nose.

“You have no idea of the forces you play with. Merfolk are _far_ more dangerous than you fragile humans.”

Atem sighed, sensing yet another argument in his life. Just once, he would like to have a conversation without someone trying to pass on information, or press their ideals onto him.

“Why are you even here?”

“I saw you on the beach, and I was curious. Then you came here, where I have not seen you before. You usually stick to the shoreline.”

“And just how long have you been watching me to know that, hmm?”

“A few times,” the merman shrugged. “It’s not important.”

“Nothing seems to be with you. You do an incredibly poor job of trying to comfort someone too.” Atem threw his hands up. He had come here to forget about the troubles piling up at his home, but now what had been his sanctuary was violated.

The merman scoffed. “I was never trying to comfort you, you are under some kind of illusion if you thought so.”

Atem gritted his teeth. “Then leave me to my solitude.”

“This beach is not yours. I am free to remain here should I wish.”

“I come here to forget my troubles, to forget the responsibilities weighing me down. Not to deal with some foreign prince who has no respect for other beings.” Atem spun around, as best he could manage in the shifting sand, stomping off towards the cliff pathway.

He half expected the mer prince to call after him, stop him in some way and reel him back in, but the air stayed silent and Atem climbed the cliff to the top without resistance.

He glanced back down to the beach, but the merman was gone.

_Good riddance,_ he thought, turning away.

* * *

He supposed he had deserved that.

He had been pressing his luck, and he _was_ supposed to stay away from the surface, so anything that came from his trips up there was his fault.

Although he scoffed and rolled his eyes, some part of him felt wounded to receive the prince’s disappointment. _Perhaps I had gone too far,_ Yugi scowled, his brows furrowing.

Sometimes, he took teasing too far. He almost tried to brush it off, since the prince had been just as snappy at him, but then he supposed he had no right to blame the human. _He’s clearly stressed about something, and he seems to be more strained in his role than I._

Human politics were a mystery to Yugi, but he had a faint idea that they were a lot grittier than that of merpeople’s.

Not wanting to linger on the prince’s favourite beach, Yugi had moved to another close by. He had been out on the shoreline for more than just a serendipitous meeting with the prince. Ryou had asked him to hunt down seashells for some kind of incantation.

Despite the very real and legal threat of going topside, Yugi and Ryou both kept it a secret. Ryou knew that Yugi liked to peek around and sate his curiosity about the wonders of the dry world, but in return for Ryou’s silence, Yugi had to fetch certain things for his experiments. 

_Shells, shells… let’s see here,_ Yugi floated down to the sea floor. There were rocks and various debris shifting around in the waves. Seaweed rolled past in clumps, with the occasional sliver of a bait fish twinkling under the sun as it darted past.

Yugi picked through the debris, singling out anything that was a piece of shell. He found some intact, that had survived the pressure of the waves, and scooped them up as well.

He collected as many as he could carry, nestling them against his chest. _That’ll be enough for today,_ Yugi nodded, satisfied. Ryou’s cave was still a good swim away, and Yugi could feel the daylight fading. He set out, tail bashing against the water, returning for home.

* * *

Having finished his business with Ryou, Yugi spent the next day floating aimlessly along the northern borders. He let the current drag him mostly, keeping an eye out for anything of interest. Mostly things were the same; fish swam by oblivious to his silent movements, and crabs scuttled over the low sea floor.

All it would take to snatch one up would be for Yugi to smack his tail, send everything into a panic and scoop in for lunch. _I could go for some fish actually,_ Yugi eyed one of the pike swimming past, leisurely going about its day. He flexed the fin at his tail tip, and the fish spiralled away, its eyes wide in panic.

Yugi chuckled, flashing his sharp teeth. He sensed the water around him grow cold, almost as if in protest. “Oh come on, I’m just jesting,” Yugi huffed, flicking his ears against the current.

The ocean tugged back, drifting him around.

_To the shoreline?_ Yugi titled his head, reading the waves. They sloshed around him, lapping gently against his skin, tugging like a child at his fragile fin membranes. He shrugged the tickling off, eyes turning in the direction of the human’s land in front of him. _Something is happening. Perhaps the prince has returned. Again. _

It seemed despite Yugi’s aloof behaviour, the human prince still frequented the beach. Perhaps he had a fascination with Yugi, never having seen a merman before. Or maybe, he was just always there, and Yugi should _really_ find somewhere else to snatch supplies from. _But it’s fun teasing the human,_ Yugi huffed, flipping his body over in the water. _Even then, I may have hit a nerve. He may be frightened off now…_

The current pushed Yugi aggressively, and he toppled around, tail whacking the water to regain his balance.

“Oi!” Yugi hissed, throwing his arms out. The fins along his body puffed up, vibrating intensely while he straightened his torso.

“What was that for?” he grumbled, throwing his glare around the water. A gentle tug was his reply, and he sighed.

“Fine, I’m going.” He slammed his tail in one powerful burst, propelling him forward. His body sliced through the water with ease, bobbling along to keep his motion.

The current pushed him in the direction of the shoreline, and Yugi frowned.

“I was just here yesterday, couldn’t you have done whatever this is then?” he grumbled. After a decent amount of time swimming with the flow, land began to reveal itself, and the sea floor gradually rose, coming up to meet it along a sandy beach.

It brought Yugi towards the northwest beaches along the human territory. He passed by the castle standing tall and proud on its outcrop, circling around to the area he had been at yesterday hunting for seashells.

Not wanting to breach the surface just yet, Yugi slowly propelled forward, bringing his ears up as close as he dared, peering through the water up to the beach beyond.

He noticed two humans walking ashore, trailing down the water’s edge. Yugi could tell one was the prince, from the shine of his hair and the sharpness of his eyes. The other Yugi had no idea who he was, but he stood like a ship’s mast beside the prince.

Even from a distance, there was no mistaking the pain in the prince’s eyes, the way he held himself so rigidly. He stood close enough to the other man to be friendly, but Yugi didn’t miss the obvious distance between them.

Yugi had never seen someone as tall as this man, who stood equally as rigid as the prince. _Geez, are all humans always this sour?_ Yugi snorted. He floated closer, coasting along the sandy sea floor. With a gentle flick of his tail, he rose to the surface, careful to raise only his eyes and ears above the surface.

He could then pick up the conversation the humans were having.

“You have to do this for the good of your kingdom, Atem,” the other human said. “As I must for mine.”

_Do what?_ Yugi frowned, floating closer. _What kingdom? Ah, wait…_ _This must be the suitor the prince spoke of. Curious._

He pulled forward along the bank, keeping to the rocks along the beach. It was hard to pick up their discussion. He dared not breach the surface with more than his ears, however. If the prince saw him he doubted it would matter, but the suitor was another matter. He was already in trouble for revealing himself once. If word got out that he was doing it again his grandfather would have his head.

_But what grandfather doesn’t know won’t hurt him,_ Yugi grinned_. And besides, I’m being careful, they can’t even see me._

“I know it’s important,” the prince said, his pace slowing. “I understand my position and what it means to the kingdom.”

“Good.”

“I will perform my duties. You don’t need to worry,” the prince insisted. Yugi could hear the strain in his tone from his far distance. _This suitor really is ruffling his fins, _Yugi thought, frowning.

The humans’ mutterings slowly faded as they began to turn away from the shoreline, heading up a slope towards the clifftops. Yugi pushed backwards, turning towards the open sea with a powerful wave of his tail.

_Atem. So that is his name. _

* * *

Atem finally had some time alone to himself, having entertained the count for long enough that he was, in Atem’s honest opinion, bored of Atem’s company. Seto had retired to his chambers, and Atem had the afternoon to relax and spend time to himself.

His thoughts drifted to the merman as he watched the sea sprawling over his view from the window.

He hadn’t returned since he had the… fight, could he call it? The fight with the merman prince. And he still didn’t even know his name. What would you call a merman? Coral? Reef? Do they name themselves off the ocean? Immediately he let out a laugh, shaking his head. _Of course they wouldn’t do something so obvious. The prince would scoff at me just for thinking it._

Still, he clung to the tiny hope that he would see the prince again. It felt like of all the things creating turmoil in his life, the prince’s sporadic appearances were surprisingly the most enriching of them all. _Maybe he won’t want to see me again after what was said last time. Or maybe he’s on the beach right now, waiting for me._ Even if the merman was just going to scorn him some more, Atem would go as an excuse to get away. _And maybe he won’t._

Walking down to the stables as he so often did, Atem wondered if his father knew where he went all the time. He probably had an idea, with how quickly Atem returned each time, and how he took his horse with him. There weren’t many places close by Atem could go to near the palace, but he still did his best to make sure no one joined him on his rides down to the beach.

Mana neighed in greeting, sticking her head out to nibble at Atem’s bangs.

“Let’s go girl,” he said, unlatching the door to her stable.

She trotted out of the palace grounds, progressing into a full-blown canter as Atem squeezed her sides. She took the path without further nudging from Atem, slowing down naturally around the place where Atem would descend the cliff side.

“Good girl,” he murmured stroking down her neck before sliding out of the saddle.

He trotted down to the shoreline, breathing in the salty scent of the ocean. The sea breeze swirled around his face, tossing his hair. It almost felt like a greeting, and he smiled in response. _It’s good to see you too,_ he chuckled.

He continued down the beach, past the area he had talked with the merman, heading further down. The shoreline narrowed there, rocks sprouting up closer to the cliff side. There was a series of tide pools created in amoung the rocks, and in the middle of it all was a huge ring of stones, making up one wide, deep water hole.

Atem sat down on the edge, taking off his shoes to dip his feet into the cool water.

“Are you always down here?” the lofty tone caused Atem to jolt in surprise, a hand at his chest in shock.

He turned in the direction of the voice to see the merman prince appear, pulling himself up to the submerged rocks near Atem, just outside of the tide pool.

“You’re just… always down here,” he said, blinking at Atem.

Atem flinched at the close proximity, eyeing the prince’s pointed teeth. “I like it here. And hello, merman prince,” he said politely.

“Greetings, human prince.”

He looked uncomfortable, avoiding eye contact. No words came from him, which surprised Atem the most. The merman had always been quick to snap at him in their past meetings, so what made this different?

“What’s wrong?” Atem asked. “No insults? Nothing to scorn me over?”

“Not today,” the prince said. “I’ve been thinking… that perhaps I overreacted before.”

Atem just stared at him, raising an eyebrow in expectation.

“I have reflected, on our meetings,” the prince murmured. “And, well… I suppose I have been harsher than I should be.”

“I don’t think you’re the only one,” Atem sighed. “There’s truth to what you say for both of us.”

“Then we are in agreeance. We tried too hard to strut our titles around without stopping to consider neither of us really cares.”

Atem laughed, his lips curving into a toothy grin. “Shall we start over, then?” he suggested.

“Agreed,” the prince flashed him a smile.

“Good. Now then, am I worthy enough to be graced with your name now, prince?” Atem smiled.

The merman’s ears flickered, the webbing between the points stretching out in a way no human ears could. He tilted his head to the side, regarding Atem carefully.

“How far would you go to learn my name?”

“I’d give you mine in return. Or would that not be enough?”

“A name for a name would be fair, I’d say, but I’m curious. How far, prince?”

“How far would you want me to go?”

The merman started, eyes widening momentarily before he seemed to reel himself back in. A warm smile spread his lips, his eyes shining.

“Well now… aren’t you the smooth talker?”

“What?” It was Atem’s turn to blink wide, surprised eyes. “A smooth talker? My voice is generally smooth.”

The smile left the prince’s face, but he laughed, giggles bubbling up from his throat. “It’s Yugi.”

“What?”

“My name. Prince Yugi Mutou of the eastern seas.”

“Oh!” Atem felt his face light up, and he grinned. “My name is Atem Sennen. Prince of Khemet.”

“That I already knew, dear prince. But thank you for giving your name willingly.”

“You knew? How?”

“Your suitor said your name on the beach the other day,” Yugi remarked. “Or should I say your fiancé?”

Atem winced. “Yeah… wait, did you see that? How?”

“In the ocean,” Yugi chuckled. “Where else would I be?”

“But on that shoreline? Were you following me?”

“No,” Yugi snorted. “I just happened to be there digging around for something. Sometimes you can’t find stuff you need out in the open ocean, surprisingly.”

His voice dripped with sarcasm, but Atem let it slide. Something about the tone and the way Yugi was still smiling told him it was done as a joke.

A sudden neighing broke their conversation. Atem looked up to see his mare bobbling her head over the side of the cliff, staring down at him. She nickered nervously.

“Hmm. I should be getting back now, I suppose,” Atem sighed. “Before my absence is noticed. And before my horse tries to climb down the cliff side.”

“But you do this so frequently I would assume it is common for you to leave for such long periods.” Yugi tilted his head.

“My friends cover for me for as long as they can, but it never bodes well to stay out too long.”

“A prince with a curfew! Now _that_ is a good one,” Yugi grinned, flashing his teeth. “But you will come back, yes?”

Atem smiled. “You want me to?”

“Beats being in court all day that’s for sure. And you’re always here, so I figured it might be worth it to use you to learn about your culture more.”

“Ha. Right, well, I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try.”

“Until then,” Yugi nodded, lunging into the ocean. His form shrunk the further out he went, until the sparkle of his scales disappeared.

Walking back up the slope to the clifftop, Atem felt lighter than the last time he had. Something had changed, and for the better, he was sure.


	5. Chapter 5

Atem yawned, stirring into wakefulness. The sheets rustled and twisted around him, moulding to his form and tugging at his clothes. He groaned, attempting to shuffle them around. They clung to him stubbornly. He gave a huff, climbing up to a sitting position. _Well, time to get up then._

He left behind the comfort of his bed, crawling out towards his chest of drawers.

But today, as normally as it had started, felt different. He had a new purpose, something worth waking up for. There was a bounce in his step as he walked through the corridors, and he found a silly grin slipping onto his face.

How could just one encounter turn his entire attitude around? He pondered the question as he giddily strolled around the palace. Prince Yugi… Atem finally had a name to put to his face.

He wondered if Yugi would open up more. There was hope for a conversation in their future, and Atem wanted to know more about life under the sea. _I bet it’s fantastical down there,_ Atem sighed wistfully._ I wish I could visit… maybe the prince could get me down there with magic. Merpeople do magic, right? I can hope, after all._

“Atem, where are you going?” his father’s voice made him pause, Atem’s feet skidding to a stop. He turned around, straightening subconsciously. _Figures. _The palace was multiple storeys high, and yet his father still always managed to find him.

“Just wanted to go check on Mana and give her a decent groom down.” Atem paused, giving a quick bow.

“Then you’ll be spending time with the count?”

Normally, Atem would tense at such a question. He’d steady himself as much as he could and prepare to stand his ground. But today, it was different, and he felt chirpier. There was no reason to fight with his father today.

“Yes, father, don’t worry. I’ll handle the situation.” Atem gave another low bow, faster than he normally did, a smile on his face. It caught his father off guard, and he knew the change in his attitude would be noted, no doubt for further conversations.

Aknamkanon blinked slowly in surprise, his eyebrows shooting up. “Well… good. I’m glad you’re taking your roles more seriously.”

“Anything for the kingdom!” Atem gave a lazy salute, excusing himself to jog off. He made for the stables, laughing aloud. _I should do that more often, it seems to get him off my back very quickly._

Mana sprang into action when she noticed him, swinging her head out over the stable door to greet him enthusiastically.

“You can feel my excitement can’t you girl?” Atem chuckled, patting over her neck. “Let’s get you out of here for a while then.”

He had barely taken her a few steps out of the building before she tore off down the dusty path.

“Woah girl!” he laughed, bouncing up and down as his mare galloped down the road. She huffed in response, head bobbling in time to her leaps.

They reached his usual spot in no time at all, where his horse slowed to a light trot on her own. She stopped near the offshoot path leading downwards, snorting lightly.

“Good girl,” Atem patted Mana’s neck, sliding off her back. He headed down the cliff side, a bounce in his step as he descended.

He wasn’t entirely sure if Yugi would even come back so soon after their last meeting, but before he could continue seconding guessing himself, he made out the faint shine of Yugi’s scales even before he got close enough to identify him. Yugi was waiting for him at the tide pool, already pulled up onto the rocks.

“Doesn’t it hurt to be out of the water?” Atem asked as he approached, crouching down to sit beside the mer prince.

“I can breathe fine for a few moments, I just can’t do it for very long outside the ocean. My scales will dry out, and then I can’t breathe without water.” Yugi explained, running his hand through the water.

“If it’s uncomfortable for you, perhaps you should lower yourself back down into the pool.”

Yugi snorted. “How sweet of you to suddenly be concerned for my wellbeing. I’ll be fine, prince. I’ve done this before.”

“Is it common for mer people to adventure to the shore like you do?” _And why have I never seen one before?_

“Let me just say, it can get boring down there,” Yugi flicked a wrist towards the ocean.

“To me, life under the ocean sounds far more interesting than coming up here,” Atem sighed wistfully. _It must be incredible, to have so much freedom and expanse to explore…_ Atem could only imagine what Yugi’s magical underwater kingdom looked like, and how daily life progressed there.

“I don’t come up here to discuss my kingdom,” Yugi said, turning his sharp eyes towards Atem. “I’m curious about yours.”

“Then by all means, ask away. I’ve had enough lessons drilled into me I could recount our entire history to you in one sitting.”

“Hmm, perhaps later. But I’m more interested in your suitor.”

Atem groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

Yugi chuckled. “You know, I could help you deal with that.”

“I am hesitant to ask how,” Atem said, sighing.

“Well you lead him down to the beach, and I’ll drag him under and let the ocean claim him.”

“That’s not a funny joke.”

“It is down in my kingdom.”

“Do you… actually do that? Drown humans?” Atem asked, his mouth growing dry.

“What do you think?” Yugi tilted his head, grinning at him.

“I don’t know enough about your people to answer that,” Atem pointed out politely. “I was hoping you would be able to shed some light on that, prince Yugi.”

“Oh, flattery. How quaint,” Yugi snickered. “Well… I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to tell you. If I deem you untrustworthy, I can always just end you.”

“Uh… I, um…” Atem blinked, shuffling his feet as a distraction. He didn’t miss the way Yugi’s eyes flashed in the sunlight, glittering as bright as the violet of his scales.

“It’s true, I could, but I’m merely jesting. Fear not, my prince, I shall not be dragging you into sea to claim your soul today.”

“Not today. Right. I suppose I should be grateful for that, then.”

“Indeed you should,” Yugi smirked. “Let us see what my mood brings tomorrow.”

Atem chuckled awkwardly. “Well then… in other regards, what have you been up to?”

“That’s what you want to talk about? ‘What have you been up to’ really?” Yugi raised an eyebrow, disbelief smeared over his face. “Incredible. You sound like an over excited young pup.”

“And you sound like my father, and that’s not an accomplishment, believe me.”

“What are you implying?” Yugi squinted his eyes at Atem.

“Oh nothing. Just that your tone makes you sound way older than you probably are. Unless… you _are_?” Atem grinned back mischievously.

“Oho! Challenging your elders now? You should know you don’t ask your betters such questions dear prince.” Yugi tipped his nose up, teeth flashing through his lips.

“What makes you my better?” Atem raised his eyebrows. “The way I see it, I can go on both land and sea, and yet you are trapped below.”

“I can also sink your ships if you dare touch _my_ land,” Yugi shot back. “And besides, land is overrated.”

“You admit defeat, then.”

“I do not. A Mutou _never_ admits defeat. My grandfather would have your head for saying such.”

“And my father would have yours, I’m sure.”

They stared each other down, Yugi’s tail swaying slightly in the tide pool while Atem sat stone still beside him.

And then-

They burst out into rolling fits of laughter. Atem toppled back to the ground, falling over the ring of rocks and onto the soft sand below. Yugi hunched over in the opposite direction, hands to his face in a vain attempt to stop his laughter. Atem lost sight of him as he stared up at the sky, a smile lazily floating over his face while his chest rumbled.

“I guess humans have their own authorial troubles,” Yugi murmured. “Different to mine, no doubt, but I’m sure there are similarities.”

“Ruling sucks no matter where you are.” Atem said, crawling back up into a sitting position to find Yugi staring down at him.

“On that we agree,” Yugi smiled. “I should… probably slip back now, my absence might have already been noticed,” Yugi hummed, turning his gaze out to the sea.

“Well if I know anything, it’s knowing when to slip back to the kingdom,” Atem grinned. “Can we do this again, though? Tomorrow?”

“Can you spare the time with your suitor lurking around?” Yugi chuckled. It sounded deep, and yet light at the same time. Atem resisted the urge to shiver in response.

“I’ll find a way,” he promised.

“Hmm,” Yugi hunched over his tail, hands propping up his head. “I suppose I could try, but three days in a row is hard to slip away for. Do not cry if I cannot make it.”

“I’ll take my chances.” Atem held out his hand, to which Yugi tilted his head.

He stared down at it, brows furrowing. “What are you doing?”

“I was going to shake on it,” Atem let his hand fall limp back to the ground, coughing awkwardly. “Never mind, it’s probably a human thing…”

“Your word is good enough,” Yugi said. Atem felt himself sitting a little straighter at Yugi’s words, smiling.

“Until next time. Prince Atem.” Yugi dipped his head down into the water, his body sliding in sideways afterwards.

Atem watched the speckled purple scales shine until they dissolved beyond his line of sight.

* * *

Yugi yawned loudly, flashing his rows of sharp teeth. His fins rustled with restlessness, but he sat still in the water, watching Ryou work slowly.

Yugi didn’t know much about the kinds of experiments and incantations Ryou practiced, but he knew they weren’t dangerous at the least. He’d covered for Ryou before in some close calls, but nothing had ever scared him.

He groaned, flipping his body over. “How goes the powder?”

“As hard as you’d expect it to be.” Ryou squinted at the bench, shifting his hand’s grip from one vial to another. As he let one go, it began to drift upwards, bobbling up and down slowly in line with Ryou’s vision.

“This would be so much easier without such strict rules on our roaming,” Ryou groaned, smashing something slimy between his palms.

“You know, actually, I may be able to help with that,” Yugi muttered. He tapped a finger over his lips, pondering. Powder was hard to make underwater, but pre-made powder transferred via sealing magic could work. They just needed the shells to be crushed above sea level. _And I happen to know someone who might help with that…_

“Give it to me and I’ll go-” Yugi paused, hearing the sound of something approaching. He twitched his finned ears, picking up the _swoosh_ of a tail.

He drifted over to the middle of the cave room, waiting for their guest to reveal themselves.

Solomon’s head poked into the room, eyes blinking around to adjust to Ryou’s house’s dim darkness. Yugi relaxed immediately, swimming forward to greet him.

“Ah, grandfather, what a pleasant surprise to see you here!” Yugi grinned.

“Your majesty,” Ryou bowed. His gaze flickered to Yugi, who offered the tiniest smile.

“Ryou, would you mind leaving us for a moment please?” Solomon gestured at Ryou, who bowed in response.

“Of course, your majesty.” With a flick of his tail, Ryou swam out of the room, and Solomon turned back to Yugi.

“Yugi, you’ve been disappearing a lot recently. Are you keeping up with your studies?”

“Of course grandfather. Don’t worry, I am maintaining our legacy well,” Yugi puffed his chest out, flicking his hair back to wave in the slight current the motion created.

Solomon’s gaze softened and he sighed. “I have no doubt you will, Yugi. But you must look the part as well. The council will start to notice your absences from the meetings, and it will not bode well for your image as the prince.”

“Your concern is noted, grandfather, but I have it all under control I assure you,” Yugi flashed his best smile, squeezing Solomon’s shoulder lightly. “Do not worry.”

“You make it hard not to,” Solomon sighed, his hair swaying with his head as he shook it. “But I’m giving you the benefit of my trust here, Yugi. Don’t disappointment me.”

“I won’t, grandfather.” Yugi bowed.

“All right, carry on then. I’ll see you in the meeting tomorrow, yes?”

“Of course.”

“Good.” Solomon gave him a firm look, to which Yugi shifted uncomfortably under. He then swam away, ducking through the cave entrance and disappearing beyond. Yugi let out a silent sigh, curling his bangs away from his face.

Ryou soon entered back into the cave, swimming up to Yugi. “You in trouble?” he asked, brows knitted close together in concern.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Yugi shrugged. “So, back to business?”

Ryou nodded, gently floating over to the far side of the cave. He resumed work with his vials, tinkering around with the ingredients floating in front of him.

“So you mentioned something about solving our conundrum?” Ryou spoke up.

“Yeah,” Yugi shifted around to mill on his back, arms folded behind his head while he drifted through the water. “I think I have a way to get it above ground and work it.”

“Mysterious, but helpful,” Ryou muttered. “I’m assuming I’m getting nothing else except that?”

“Of course not.”

“As to be expected of our prince,” Ryou sighed. He left the bench to swim over to Yugi’s side. “Here, take this one. If you can pulverize these without them dissolving, that’ll be good.”

Yugi turned to see Ryou’s hand outstretched, offering him a clutch of shells in one hand, and a vial in the other.

Yugi took them all into his hands, holding them against his chest to keep them from floating away. “I still don’t know why you can’t just find an off-shore cave or island to do this on.”

“Mmm, it’s almost like there’s a sacred rule that makes it illegal to go above sea level,” Ryou flashed him a look, and Yugi quickly glanced away.

“I’m sure you could get a licence to go to an island. There’s not always humans on them.”

“Perhaps. Just be careful, Yugi. I appreciate the help, but I’d rather deal with annoyances down here than you in trouble up there.”

“All right Ryou, point taken,” Yugi chuckled. “But don’t worry, I’m always careful.”

Ryou hummed, turning back to his work. Yugi gave his tail a huge _swish_, propelling out of the cave.


	6. Chapter 6

The sea was a calm surface of gentle activity that morning. Barely anything moved atop it, and yet, Atem couldn’t look away. The occasional ripple of sea foam provided enough distraction to keep his eyes trained below.

He had been craving a change of scenery, and the playful breeze on his face on the balcony felt like just what he needed.

The fishermen would have already cast their nets out, be on their way back to the town, or already in dock. There were restrictions on how close they could linger to the palace, mainly for privacy and security reasons, and so Atem often saw nothing from his view of the ocean. But here, on the side of the castle facing down the landscape, he could make out the cluster of buildings of the town down the road.

“My prince.” Atem’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted. He paused, turning to see Mahad walking up to him.

“Hello, Mahad. What brings you to me this morning?”

“Your rings have been completed and have arrived, you’ll find them in your chambers when you next return, my prince,” Mahad bowed.

Atem fidgeted, uneasy at the public display of deep respect. He knew Mahad had to do it; anyone could be passing through the halls and doorways and they needed to stay true to their roles, but it still made him uncomfortable.

“Thank you, Mahad. That’s… good to know.” He tried his best to maintain a decent smile, giving Mahad a nod the man couldn’t see.

“Walk with me,” Atem suggested, gesturing to his side.

“As you wish.”

Atem left the balcony behind in favour of strolling through the hallways, with Mahad falling into step beside him. He tried to string his thoughts together, wondering what to discuss now that his friend was here.

The weight of Mahad’s words hung heavy over his heart and mind. With the arrival of the rings, Atem’s fate felt progressively more sealed as the hours ticked by. His time was running out, and he would have to make his move soon, or risk angering his father again.

In the end, he settled for asking, “Do you think it’ll work out?”

“I think the country will be pleased with the union.” Came Mahad’s reply.

“That’s what matters most, I suppose,” Atem sighed. _My hands are tied, anyway. There’s no way my father will allow me to slip away from this responsibility…_

“It will keep people happy and in good spirits. You _are_ your father’s only child, it will bring great relief to the people to have something such as a marriage to celebrate.”

“It won’t be a huge affair; have you seen the count? He’s so… stoic. I doubt he’s one for celebrations,” Atem muttered.

“I… have indeed, seen Count Kaiba,” Mahad grunted. “He will be… a valuable addition to the royal family.”

Atem laughed, pressing a hand to his face to stifle his giggles. “Overly polite Mahad is my favourite, hands down.”

“I aim to please, my lord.”

They entered a wide break in the hallway, several new passages sprouting off from the walls.

“I’m going down to the stables, can we resume this delightful conversation later?” Atem asked, pausing in his stroll.

Mahad stopped beside him, sighing heavily. “I suppose. It’s not like I could stop you even if I wanted to.”

Atem snorted, a smile creeping up his face. “You know me well.”

“Too well,” Mahad replied coolly, straightening his posture. He gave a curt nod before trotting off, leaving Atem before he was the one scurrying off. _He really does know me too well, heh._ Atem remained in the room for a moment longer, gazing around the dull walls. There were no decorations there, nothing to add individual flavour and identity.

_This is depressing..._ He set off, taking a different path from the one Mahad had slipped down. The passages slowly guided him out to the main hall, the bright polished marble shining.

_Not where I really wanted to end up, but at least I can head down the servant pathway to reach the stables outside. I’ve had about enough of this place for now._

He made to move out of the main hall, but froze up, noticing the count entering the hall. _Shiiiit_, Atem chewed on his lip. He debated racing out of the room, or walking briskly in the opposite direction.

It was too late, however; Seto’s eyes met his, and he began to stalk over to him.

“Prince Atem,” Seto said in greeting. _Shit,_ _busted,_ Atem inwardly winced. He turned around, giving Seto a quick bow.

“Greetings, Count Kaiba.”

“What are you doing?” Seto asked.

“Uh, I’m… just taking my horse out for a ride,” Atem smiled. _That sounds convincing, sure, good job Atem,_ he mentally slapped himself. “She needs a good ride every now and then, and I enjoy the solitude that comes with it.”

“Hm. I see. Enjoy your ride, then,” Seto hummed, arms crossed tightly across his chest. He strolled off without another word, giving nothing resembling a farewell.

_Talk about being stuck up,_ Atem scoffed silently, once Seto had left the hall.

Seto had been easy to fool, but Atem had the nagging feeling that the count knew more than he was letting on. _Maybe even after this marriage, I can keep coming down to the beach. Perhaps Yugi will even agree to do the same._

Atem managed to avoid everyone on his way down to the stables, and from there, he took the quick trip down to the cliff side.

Yugi was waiting for him at the tidepool, pulled up against the edge of the water.

“Hello Yugi,” Atem greeted him, plopping down on the rocks nearby.

“You really like it down here, don’t you?” Yugi tilted his head, eyes glancing Atem’s way. “Oh. Wait. Unless, you’re only here because _I’m_ here?”

“You’ve bested me, oh no,” Atem snorted, settling down beside Yugi. “How will I ever retrieve my honour now?”

“You’ll have to beg me for it.”

“You’d like that wouldn’t you,” Atem teased, cracking a smile at him.

“I would, yes.” Yugi tipped his nose up, his sharp teeth flashing in his grin. “Ah, but onto more important matters. I have a favour to ask of you, Prince Atem,” Yugi continued. He shuffled around, his body turning and his hands coming forward to reveal something he had been holding. It looked like a bag of some sort, and whatever was inside made an awful lot of clinking sounds.

Yugi held it out towards him, and Atem took it. He could immediately tell it was seaweed, the slimy feel making him shiver. He had to hold it with both hands, just to keep the plant material from slipping out of his grip.

As Atem rolled it around in his hands, he noticed a certain slick texture around each seaweed piece. He poked it, feeling the material clump up around each crisscrossing area. _So that’s how it’s staying together,_ Atem thought, impressed. Yugi’s people seemed to have such an interesting way of life built around the central need to have everything function under water.

The seaweed bag was filled with shells. Some broken, others in pristine condition. There were several different kinds, some long and pointy mixed in with more flat, smooth shells. _Why a bag of shells?_ Atem hummed, curious.

“What’s this for?” he asked, turning his attention back to Yugi.

“For a friend,” Yugi explained. “He needs these to be crushed up into a fine dust. Which, you can imagine, is quite hard to do when you’re surrounded by ocean water constantly.”

“So you want me to crush them?” Atem blinked, examining the bag again. He could definitely crush them back at the palace, stealing some supplies from the kitchen to grind with.

“Yes.”

“But… won’t you need to bring them back underwater anyways? Won’t the powder just float away?”

“We have ways around that,” Yugi waved the concern off. “I just need this to be done above sea level first, and then I can take care of the rest.”

_Why don’t you just do it now?_ Atem wondered. He didn’t want to ask as much, figuring Yugi had a reason for wanting Atem to do it. Instead, he’d just agree with it. He could use it as an opportunity to strengthen the trust between them.

“All right, leave it to me. I’ll carry it back to the palace and bring it back as you need it tomorrow. If that’s satisfactory for you?”

“Of course. I’ll be back tomorrow for it then.”

“You’re leaving already?” Atem frowned. He hadn’t meant it like that, he wasn’t ready to return to his responsibilities just yet.

“Not yet, but soon. I did just come up to ask that of you. I have a meeting under the moon tonight I must attend. Can’t have my presence here noticed,” Yugi smirked.

“Guess I’m not the only runaway prince, then.”

Yugi laughed, a hand perched over his face. “Not today you’re not.” He leaned back, splashing water up the rocks as his tail lifted out of the water. Droplets sparkled as they cascaded down the length of scales, some flicking off towards Atem, creating wet circular patches on his pants.

Atem paid them no mind, captivated by the colourful shine in front of him. _They look so soft,_ he thought, despite knowing full well the slick hardness of fish scales. There had always been something beautiful about the silver shimmer of fish dancing in the water, but to see something far more stunning so closely and personally had Atem sighing happily.

“Thinking about your future husband?” Yugi asked.

“N-No!” Atem stuttered, glancing away from Yugi and his tail quickly.

“But you look so content. Surely, such a face can only come from your desirable marriage?”

“Ha! You couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“Mmm, very well then. Keep your secrets.” Yugi shrugged, examining a hand lazily.

_He gave up surprisingly easily,_ Atem noted.

“So, are you looking forward to this marriage, then?” Yugi asked instead.

“Mmm, not really… If there’s one thing I wish we would change in our traditional customs, it’s marrying as soon as possible,” Atem groaned, threading fingers through his hair. “It is detestable.”

“I wish I could offer you sympathy in that regard, but your human practices are past my understanding.”

“Your kind doesn’t require their offspring to marry off as fast as possible?”

“Not really. Not for a reason like yours. Marriage isn’t as important to us. Unions don’t need grand ceremonies to be fulfilled either; just the honest words of both parties involved.”

Atem sighed, pressing a hand against his cheek. “I wish it could be like that with me. But, our traditions are too deeply ingrained into our culture.”

“Tradition has its time and place. Some things… we just can’t change,” Yugi said.

“You’re right, and well… that day is almost here for me now. I have until the end of the week.”

Yugi frowned, his ears dipping downward. “That’s… tomorrow, isn’t it?”

Atem laughed. “Yeah…” Time just seemed to be moving far too fast for him.

“You augh to fulfil your duty soon, then.”

“Augh, you sound like my father,” Atem teased.

“He’s right about one thing, though. You do need to consider the future of your kingdom.”

“I know. I think I’m too hard on him. I mean, he’s hard on me sometimes too, but perhaps that’s my fault.”

“Don’t blame yourself too much. That’s just how it is with family, I think.” Yugi slid a careless hand over his clumping hair. There was a distinct scent of sea salt, and whether it was from the ocean breeze, or from Yugi himself, Atem couldn’t tell. It did smell stronger when Yugi was around, however; like he carried the sea with him.

“Wish me luck?” Atem said suddenly, intently.

“What for?” Yugi tilted his head. Atem smiled sadly at him.

“To find the courage to face this.”

“Hmm,” Yugi’s ears flicked backwards, eyes watching Atem closely. “You don’t need luck. You have enough courage to do what needs to be done.”

Atem felt his eyes widen in surprise, blinking rapidly. “Oh… well, thank you…”

“But, if it brings you comfort; good luck, Prince Atem,” Yugi grinned. He pushed off the rocks, dipping back under the water and out of sight.

* * *

Atem left in a hurry, disappearing over the cliff top and back to his human life. Yugi watched him leave, until he was left with nothing but the gentle lap of the ocean waves.

He sighed, stretching his back out against the rock. The morning sun was warm against his skin, soaking into his moistened skin, drying it at an almost alarming rate. It felt good, though, to his top half, and he allowed the dehydration for a moment longer, letting the heat saturate his torso.

When it began to affect his breathing, he dove back down under the sea, sliding through the water. With a powerful slap of his tail, he shot forward, gliding over the sea floor. He glanced down at the sandy landscape below, watching the crabs scuttle along. Most other creatures were smart enough to give Yugi a wide berth, leaving his trip home uneventful.

He made a beeline for the palace, dancing through the buildings and people swimming around between him and the marble castle.

Just as he was approaching the outlying entryways, he noticed someone emerging from one above him. He recognised the shine of Anzu’s amber scales.

“Anzu! Hey!” Yugi called out, changing his direction to propel himself upwards to her.

“Good morning Yugi,” Anzu replied, a radiant smile on her face, as always.

Yugi gave her a grin back, waving happily. “Anzu, strange to see you around the palace,” Yugi commented.

Anzu gave him a confused look, which quickly shifted into a deadpan gaze. “Yugi, you know I work there.”

Yugi gave a fake shocked gasp. “You work at my house?? Wow! How have I never seen you before!? This is great!”

“Yugi I swear to the great pacific I will drown you if you don’t stop.”

“You’d have to catch me first,” Yugi grinned.

“Augh.”

“Go on then.”

“Never mind I don’t have the patience to try and chase you all day. Besides, don’t you have a meeting today?” Anzu asked.

“Yeah I’m heading there right now, don’t worry,” Yugi chuckled.

Anzu’s face screwed up, her lips pointing downwards. “Yugi… You’re going to be in trouble, you know.”

“I’m sure I will, but I’m also sure I’ll be able to wriggle my way out of it like I usually do.”

“Just hurry to the court room, you’re making me anxious with your floating around!” Anzu shooed him away, spinning around to swish her tail at him.

Yugi rolled in the current, laughing loudly. Anzu left with one final puffed up look at him, while Yugi kept swaying gently.

He waited another few good moments before finally righting himself, slapping his tail through the water towards the palace.

It towered above him as he swam to the lower levels, slipping inside a marble passageway. It led him directly to the chamber where court was held.

Opening the doors, Yugi saw all heads turn to him immediately. He ignored them, sliding into the room and quietly propelling himself to his position on the table.

“My apologies for my tardiness, grandfather,” he dipped his head towards Solomon, who just waved him off.

Before the king could speak, one of the other council members, Furi, spoke up. “Where have you been, young prince?”

“I was out talking with the people of our kingdom,” Yugi said, keeping his tone lofty. “Seeing what issues people have they feel aren’t important enough to bring to court, but we can help with nonetheless.”

Furi paused, her mouth open with no response. “I…”

_That’s right, didn’t expect me to give such a humble response did you?_ Yugi tipped his nose upwards, smirking out across the table at everyone. No one else stood against him, their gazes all awkwardly turning away.

“Thank you for spending time out in the kingdom, Yugi,” Solomon said, his tone polite and gentle as always. “But now it is time to discuss matters as a council. Please consider arriving on time for these meetings.”

“Yes, your majesty,” Yugi bowed, shifting his features to appear more solemn.

“Hm. Very well then,” Solomon nodded, his gaze returning to the table as a whole. “Now we are all present, there are some concerns we should address…”

* * *

Atem sat in a chair in his room, breathing deeply. His hands were intertwined in front of his nose as he stared down the table below him. On it rested a ring, cushioned on a plush pillow. It screamed elegance and prestige. The gem resting in the centre of the gold was a sapphire, glistening brightly back up at him. He saw his muddy reflection stretched across the top cut, all details lost except the shades of his hair and skin, blending together into a strange chimera. What was visible looked oddly like his father’s features, and the thought alone made Atem’s gut twist.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to set fire to that pillow with your gaze alone,” he heard a voice say.

Atem glanced up, watching Mahad stroll into the room. His friend stopped just beside him, arms clasped behind his back.

“Is today the day?” Mahad asked, sympathy rich in his tone.

“It is,” Atem sighed. “I am resigned to my fate.”

“I’m sorry,” Mahad’s eyes shone, his brows drawn low. “I wish I could be more help, but…”

“There’s nothing either of us can do, my friend,” Atem gave a soft smile. “It’s all right. I know I must do this, for the kingdom.”

“The people already know how much you do for them, I’m sure your marriage will bring joy to everyone.”

“Everyone?” Atem snorted.

Mahad pinned him with a look. “Except you, I suppose.”

“I do like to go against the grain,” Atem chuckled, pained.

“Mmm,” Mahad hummed in reply, but said nothing else.

Atem just nodded, understanding too well. He was dragging it out. It was time.

He rose. “All right, I’m off to find my future husband.” He tried to keep his tone light and in jest but knew Mahad saw through it.

“Good luck,” Mahad whispered softly, squeezing Atem’s shoulder as he passed.

Atem swallowed back his nerves, readjusting his hold on the covered pillow before leaving his quarters.

It didn’t take long for Atem to track Seto down; he was in his chambers, scrawling something across a sheet of paper. His head stayed perfectly still, but he did acknowledge Atem’s existence.

“My Prince.”

“Greetings, Count Kaiba.”

“What brings you to my quarters, your majesty?”

“Might you join me for a stroll this afternoon?” Atem inquired.

Seto paused, finally lifting his head. He put down the lead pencil in his hand, standing up to his full height, towering over Atem. “If it pleases my prince, yes, I would,” he replied.

Atem dipped his head, walking off. Seto effortlessly kept pace beside him, his legs double the size of Atem’s. He tried hard not to glare at the ease of it, squashing down the resentment he could feel bubbling up. _Him being taller and more elegant and well-spoken has nothing to do with it_, he told himself. _Not at all._

Nothing mattered in the end. He couldn’t make a choice that would mean anything; he was still getting married, and with that his fate would be sealed for the rest of his life. _Unless there was an accident, of course,_ Atem felt his lips quirk upwards, remembering his last encounter with Yugi. He didn’t hate the count, however; he didn’t want to hurt him, he just wanted him to leave.

They strolled out onto a balcony, one that stretched out over the edge of the cliff, giving a stunning view of the ocean. To their left was the landscape of wind beaten scrub, fading into lush forests far in the distance.

_Let’s get this over and done with, I lack the strength to continue this ruse,_ Atem bit his lip, slowly pausing in his walk. Seto stopped alongside him, cocking an eyebrow in silent question.

Atem clutched a hand over the cloth, feeling the shape of the item beneath. He pulled off the cover, revealing the pillow and ring beneath. _Here goes,_ he silently swallowed back his feelings, raising his gaze to lock eyes with Seto.

“What’s this?” Seto asked, voice as calm as ever.

Atem bowed, offering the ring out on its plush pillow. “Count Seto Kaiba, I, Atem of house Sennen, humbly ask to take your hand in marriage. To join our kingdoms as one, and unite our people through the joys and depressions of life. Do you accept?”

Atem saw Seto push a hand out to him. There was no hesitation there; he knew as much as Atem did that they had no way out of this contract. “I accept.”

Atem felt his muscles tighten._ It’s done._ “…Good. I am, glad,” Atem took Seto’s outstretched hand, pressing the ring through a finger.

Seto gave a tight nod, taking his hand back to examine the ring. “May this union bring our kingdom’s further glory.”

“Yes… I hope it does.” Atem bowed his head. _For the kingdom._


	7. Chapter 7

Yugi twirled through the water, bobbing up and down in one continuous smooth movement.

He gave a curt nod to a passing mermaid, and she smiled in reply. Not many merpeople resided out this way. It was considered to be the outskirts of the city, where hardly anyone lived. Most people preferred to stay in the clay structures dotted closer to the marble palace.

Unlike the humans, who seemed to prefer to keep their royalty separate from the rest, from what Yugi had observed so far. _But then you have to travel so far to meet with your people, _Yugi furrowed his brows, staring down at the sand and rocks as he passed by. _Seems counterproductive to me, but who knows with humans._

He spun around, floating on his back for a moment. _Hmm, I have nothing else to do today… Atem is probably too busy with his engagement, so risking going above ground would be pointless… What should I do then?_

He saw movement from the corner of his eye, and he slowed down. Whatever it was approached him with no fear, nor any subtly. Glancing to his side, he identified them as one of the palace servants. Someone who worked under Anzu, he thought, from the armband fluttering in the water.

Yugi stopped moving, waiting for the merman to catch up to him.

“Is something the matter?” he asked, once they were close enough.

“Nothing serious, your majesty,” the merman bowed in obligation. “The king requests your presence.”

“Ah, the king needs me?” Yugi asked.

“Correct, my prince. He has summoned you to the western reefs for a private audience.” The merman bowed again.

“Very well then, you’re dismissed, thank you,” Yugi waved them off, and the servant quickly swam away.

_The western reefs? How interesting. We usually never meet outside of the palace. _Yugi frowned. He wondered what had brought about the change. Their meetings were often conducted in Solomon’s private chambers, as his grandfather often tired easily from too much travel, and preferred to conserve his strength for his work instead.

He made haste, heading out on a western bound current. With a few flicks of his tail to maintain direction, he mostly enjoyed letting the ocean take him to his destination.

The landscape began to shift, the wide-open expanse of sea he had been swimming through just before giving way to long, mounded reefs.

An eco-system of diversified life fluttered around him; fish swam gently between rocks, while plants swayed in the water’s currents. He noticed colourful fins shimmer under the sunlight streaming through, the rays soaking into the coral to dazzle the world in brilliant colours.

He felt his own fins pull flush to his body, picking up his pace. As beautiful as it was to be in the western reefs, he was here for a reason, and didn’t have the time to sightsee.

Solomon was floating above a section of the reef, examining a long, wispy-soft stretch of seaweed. In front of them stretched masses of coral, sticking in and out of chunks of rock as far as the eye could see. Yugi drifted closer, until he was sure he was within his grandfather’s eye sight.

“You summoned me, grandfather?” he prompted.

“Yes I did,” Solomon nodded, his gaze drifting over to Yugi for a moment before returning to the coral in front of him.

“It’s odd to be summoned by you out here and not in the palace,” Yugi observed.

“I wanted to get away for once, out of those stagnant halls,” Solomon replied gruffly.

“So what’s the word?”

“Hmm. Our shark brethren have been complaining more recently. It concerns me, but there’s little we can do,” his grandfather sighed.

_Perhaps not,_ Yugi thought to himself. “I don’t think the humans know we’re here. It’s probably something else, a challenge or something based on location, not malice.”

“And what makes you say that, dear grandson?” Solomon sniffed at him, frowning.

“Oof, using my own tone and tactic against me,” Yugi winced, exaggerating his hurtful expression. “So that’s how it feels.”

“Where do you think you got it from, my boy?” Solomon chuckled with a grin.

“Well,” Yugi continued. “To answer your question, I’m guessing. Without being able to go above the waves to study them, we don’t know what the humans are up to. Perhaps, we could-”

“No,” Solomon said abruptly. “The laws are absolute. We stay here, and they stay up there. Our worlds are separate, and that is how they must stay.”

“I know,” Yugi sighed. “I was just trying to help. But, you’re the king. Your word is law, your majesty.”

“It’s there to keep us safe. We don’t need to be involved in their petty politics. You’ve read the history annals; you know how they are.”

_I do. Far more than you, I believe,_ Yugi thought, Atem’s face flashing through his mind. “I understand, grandfather.”

“Good. In the end, it’ll help us more than-” Solomon stopped suddenly, his brows furrowing suddenly.

“What is it?” Yugi asked, his ears subconsciously puffing outwards in caution.

“Does the water feel lighter here to you?”

Yugi paused, breathing in deeply. He felt nothing different in the water to air ratio. It felt fine for him. “No…”

“Hmm. Maybe I just have something stuck in my throat…” Solomon trailed off, scratching at his beard.

“You should go see Amandus about it then.” If anyone knew if something was wrong, it would be the highest ranked medical staff, the one who sat on the council.

“I don’t think it’s much to be concerned about. I won’t worry about it. The kingdom has far greater concerns for me,” Solomon muttered.

“Let me take on some of those concerns, then,” Yugi suggested. “I will eventually take over anyway, so why not let me shoulder some of the burdens for now?”

Solomon tilted his head, eyes closed as he hummed in thought. Yugi floated patiently beside his grandfather, allowing him a moment of peace.

“I suppose there are some things you could handle alone, for now,” Solomon relented.

“Thank you,” Yugi swam forward, pecking Solomon on the cheek. “You need to rest a little more, your majesty. You’re working too hard.”

“The kingdom never sleeps,” his grandfather laughed, patting Yugi’s shoulder. “I don’t see why I should either.”

“Please go see Amandus, at least just to get checked over quickly,” Yugi pressed. “I’ll go see the other council members and organise some of the concerns to be passed between us and off your shoulders.”

“All right Yugi, I’ll go see the doctor,” Solomon rolled his eyes, puffing up his fins. He shuffled out of the room, tail lazily slapping him forward.

“Good!” Yugi called after him, grinning widely.

He waited until he was sure Solomon was heading in the right direction before he took off on his own path. The ocean pulled him along towards the palace, almost as if it sensed his desire and bended to his will.

_There’s no rush,_ Yugi thought, giggling as the water flowed through his fingers and fins, tugging at the thin membrane between them. It brought him slightly higher than he wanted, the council chambers on the lower floors of the structure, not near the upper levels, but he didn’t mind. He was content to let the currents pull him along to their own desires, until he was close enough to break off to go below.

“Yugi!” he paused, spinning around at the call.

“Anzu?” he grinned, seeing his friend propelling towards him. “How sweet of you to drop by just to see me. I can’t think of why else you’d be here.”

“I’m not doing this again with you Mutou,” Anzu stuck out her tongue. In her arms she was cradling several things covered in seaweed; soft, fragile goods in need of transport protection, no doubt.

“All right, all right, not today,” Yugi laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. “But Anzu, would you do me a favour, please?”

“Can’t rightly refuse the crown prince now can I?” Anzu rolled her eyes playfully. “Yeah what is it?”

“I need all the council members, minus the medical leader Amandus, and my grandfather, in the meeting hall, post haste. Can you arrange that?”

“And here I thought you were giving me a challenge,” Anzu scoffed. “Sure, I can spread the word, but whether or not they’ll respect your word as prince is another matter.”

“Tell them it’s an order from the king, then.”

Anzu frowned at him, eyes squinting. “Yugi…”

“It’s not lying I promise, geez,” Yugi stuck his tongue out, flicking Anzu’s hair impishly. “I just spoke with my grandfather, and he agreed to allow me shoulder more responsibility in the council. I’m worried he’s starting to show his age, and I’d rather take some worry off his thoughts where I can.”

“Hmm. You won’t be able to sneak off more often on your ‘creative strolls’ if the council has you busy.”

“I know,” Yugi sighed, twirling a bang away from drifting into his face. “But I need to do this. I’ll find a way.”

Anzu nodded, her understanding ever-present on her face. “Okay. I’ll go get you your council meeting.”

“Thanks Anzu.” Yugi wrapped his arms around her, hugging for a brief moment.

They broke away; Anzu heading back into the palace through the upper hallways, while Yugi dipped downward, into the lower chambers.

The pathways were well worn and so familiar Yugi was sure he could navigate them from current flow alone. Something told Yugi he would be swimming these paths more commonly from now on, too, with his increased responsibility and obligation to the council. _But grandfather needs the time off, so I must do this, _Yugi thought, nodding to himself.

His resolve was set as he entered the council room, dispersing the stagnant water inside with his arrival.

He lowered himself down to perch on the throne, resting his arms on both sides. It felt strange; he had never sat here before, only ever having seen his grandfather here at the head. He brushed off the uncomfortable feeling, sharpening his focus back to the council he would soon be holding. His first council.

From the position at the end of the table, he had a perfect view of the entrance, able to observe when anyone entered.

And so he waited.

* * *

Atem’s father hadn’t called him to a meeting in what felt like forever. In reality, it was only about a week, even less, since he was asked about the marriage proposal. From there, the king had only sent a message about the engagement last night. He hadn’t seen his father in person, of course, too caught up in his pity session to face Aknamkanon.

The summons came as no surprise to him, then, when his presence was finally requested at his father’s side. Aknamkanon always preferred personal information to be delivered in... well, person, but Atem had been too emotional to accommodate his father’s preferences.

He knocked briefly to announce his arrival, sliding the door open and slipping inside. He turned around to see his father on the far side, in front of his work desk. “You sent for me, father?” he asked.

“Atem, there you are. Come here, I have kingdom matters to discuss with you.” Aknamkanon waved him over to where he sat. A huge book was sprawled out over the table, with several smaller journals and scrolls dotted around.

“What is the matter?” Atem asked.

“There have been more complaints recently from the fisherman along the coast.”

“Is there a problem?” Atem frowned. He hadn’t heard much news from the towns, and aside from his last trip into the port, there hadn’t been any commotion since.

“It’s a slight concern, if it continues. Reports speak of fewer fish than before, though still enough to maintain the demands of the people for now.”

“I could go out with a crew and investigate?” Atem offered.

“Hmm. No, your time is better spent here, with your fiancé. I will send someone else down to inspect the case.”

“Very well then,” Atem conceded.

“If the situation escalates, I’ll consider having you make an appearance. It might help ease tensions but for now, it’s relatively minor on our list.”

“What else takes priority then?”

Aknamkanon moved his hand from the massive book, plucking a crumpled letter off the desk. He held it up for Atem, who took it to smooth out the creases in the paper, scanning over the words inside.

It was an order form, for a delivery of goods coming from Count Seto’s lands.

“Your marriage,” his father smiled up at him.

“Oh…” Atem didn’t think it was more important than food concerns, but with his union came the support of Seto’s subjects, and the fertile lands they tended further inland. It was what his father was hoping on, and the reason Atem couldn’t reject his marriage. They needed this.

“Some supplies from the northern lands for our people, and some stock in preparation for the wedding.”

“Nothing too grand, I hope…”

“No, not with our current predicaments. Something still befitting a prince, however.”

“I’m sure you’re working on the details as we speak?” Atem stared down at the book, watching the words his father scrawled across the pages.

“Would you rather plan it?” Aknamkanon cocked an eyebrow, glancing up at his son. Atem flushed, pushing away from the desk.

“No…”

“Then yes, I am.”

“Fine. Was there anything else you needed me for?”

“No, I believe that was all,” Aknamkanon brushed a hand over his beard, eyes scanning the documents spread in front of him. “Perhaps if you see Mahad, you might redirect him here for a briefing?”

“As you wish, father,” Atem bowed, sensing the dismissal and edging out of the room. He scurried away.

On his way back to his chambers, Atem swung by the kitchens. The staff gave him plenty of side glances, but ultimately did nothing to discover why their prince was down in the common rooms.

He took a spice grinder set, and a box he could seal over for when he was done. With those in hand, he hurried out of the kitchens, directly avoiding eye contact. He had no doubt his haphazard appearance would confuse everyone, but no one would question it.

A few minutes of hastily walking around had Atem back in his room. He dropped the supplies onto the table before sliding down into the chair. In front of him he laid everything out. The bag of seaweed the shells had been in had dried out from being above the ocean for so long. Atem had considered keeping it hydrated in a bowl of water, but since he was crushing the shells up, he wanted them to be bone dry, to make the process easier.

There was a soft knock on the door, and Atem muttered his consent. From the way it opened softly, and the footfalls were quiet, he could tell it was Mahad.

“Hey Mahad.” Atem raised a hand in greeting before continuing with his grind. “What brings you here today?”

“Hello prince,” Mahad smiled, walking up to him. “What are you up to?”

“Trying to make a powder substance with this,” Atem grunted. “It’s a little hard, but it’s going well I think.”

“Interesting. A new project of some kind? Trying to unmake yourself a prince?”

“Not today,” Atem laughed. “No, just doing something for a friend.”

“A friend? Have I missed something recently?”

“I do have friends, you know,” Atem puffed up his cheeks. “Other than you, geez.”

Mahad chuckled softly. “Of course.”

“Right, phft. Ah, also: Mahad, father wanted to see you.”

“Oh. Interesting,” Mahad said. “I had better go see what the king requires, then.”

“Feel free to come back when you’re done,” Atem mumbled, still maintaining his ministrations.

He saw Mahad bow from the corner of his eye before striding out of the room. The door closed behind him, and Atem returned to his work.

The shells took a while to break down, but since they were already bone dry, Atem was able to smash them easily. The rounder ones broke faster, leaving him with several larger chunks, and a collection of smaller ones along the bottom.

Eventually he crushed it all enough to a point where he was just grinding dust against dust.

“Finally, that’s gotta be enough,” Atem nodded to himself. He wasn’t sure he could do anymore. The pieces were so small his grinding stone was only pushing the powder around. _Hopefully this is what Yugi wanted_.

It was too late for him to slip out to the beach tonight. He’d have to give the powder to Yugi tomorrow.

He put the container down and wrapped it in a stray piece of cloth, then standing and heading over to his clothes cabinet. Stripping out of his day gear and into his silky nightwear, Atem kept glancing back over to the parcel. What was it even for? He hadn’t bothered to ask, but then again, he wasn’t sure Yugi would give him a straight answer if he had. The merprince had a jesting streak in him, and Atem felt he had been made the fool more than enough for his liking.

He climbed into bed, rolling in and snuggling down into the blankets, waiting until sleep took him under.


	8. Chapter 8

Yugi was waiting for him the next day, already curled up on the rocks around the tide pool. His tail was still submerged, but the speckling of scales leading up to his stomach rose conspicuously above the water level, glistening in the sunlight.

Atem dumped the box of powder down on a rock close to Yugi, bowing comically. “Here you are. One incredibly dusty box of crushed up shells, just as you requested, your majesty.”

Yugi turned to his side, eyes widening at the container. “Wow, you did it.”

Atem snorted, flopping down on the sand beside him. “Isn’t it what you wanted? I said I’d do it, it’s just crushing up some shells.”

“Yes well, I don’t know… I guess I thought you might be too busy for it.” Yugi cupped a hand around the box, muttering something to it under his breath. His palm flashed with a brief light, and Atem noticed a shimmer pass over the case. _Huh… magic?_ Atem squinted at it. Nothing really _appeared_ different, but there was now something tingling in the air that made his spine shiver.

Yugi glanced up at him. “Magic’ll do that to you, if you’re not used to it,” he chuckled.

“I see… Well, I still do have time to see things like this. At least, until I’m actually married.” Atem cringed, grinding his teeth together.

Yugi’s face fell, sympathy thick in his voice. “Ah, so you are engaged, then?”

Atem held up his hand, where the ring was wrapped around his finger.

“A symbol of your betrothed, I see,” Yugi peered at the ring, a finger raised elegantly to his lips, slightly open in curiosity.

“Do you want to hold it?” Atem asked, already beginning to tug it off.

“No, I’m fine,” Yugi said, pulling back. “It’s yours, and I don’t want to overstep.”

_I don’t mind,_ Atem almost said. The ring didn’t mean much to him, and he was more than happy to hand it over.

“It’s an item with a lot of meaning behind it. It’s best kept with its owner.”

“If you say so,” Atem shrugged, content to let the matter drop.

Yugi sighed, the weight leaving his shoulders as he did. “For what it’s worth, I am sorry your society forces this upon you.”

Atem smiled over at him. “Thanks. I appreciate that. It’s just something I must do, I suppose.”

“We are both destined to do things for others we don’t want to do, it would seem,” Yugi snorted, sloshing a hand through the water.

“You don’t want to either?” Atem blinked. “I was under the impression you were looking forward to your throne.”

“Mine certainly sounds like less work compared to yours,” Yugi conceded with a dipped head. “But nonetheless, there are things I do not look forward to dealing with.”

“Hmm. You know, we could run away,” Atem teased.

“What, both of us? At the same time?” Yugi gave him a shocked look. “And what, start a war?”

“We could make it look like we ran away with some forbidden lover of our respective races. No one would suspect a thing on either side.”

“I don’t think my grandfather would buy it,” Yugi scoffed. “He’d send out the entire kingdom to find me.”

“Then we go somewhere he wouldn’t suspect. A river inland, perhaps, or a lake.”

“I don’t think I’d survive in freshwater,” Yugi noted.

“We’d find a way,” Atem grinned.

Yugi laughed, pressing a hand to his face to hide his teeth. “We’d find a way, _phft_. Your dedication to a cause is something to be both admired and feared. You will make a strange king, young Atem.”

“Really? You think so?” Atem perked up.

“I believe you will. Don’t doubt yourself, and you’ll do fine. There is nothing to fear, so long as you are always moving forward.”

“You are just a wellspring of fantastical phrases and inspiration, aren’t you?” Atem laughed. He shuffled around on the sand, leaning in closer. “You’ll make a good king too, I think.”

“…Thank you.” Yugi smiled, glancing away. “I hope I can do my people proud as well.”

“You will. I believe in you.” Atem said earnestly. Yugi stayed silent for a moment, his eyes ever glued to the sea.

When he next spoke, the conversation had changed. “Well, I had better go give Ryou his powder now. For whatever it is he needs it for,” Yugi shuffled off of the rocks, slipping fully into the water. He poked his head back out with an arm, scooping up the box and sliding it back under.

The powder stayed inside, and Atem saw none of it leak out to dust the clear tide pool. “Wow,” he remarked.

“Magic,” Yugi shrugged. “It’s pretty useful.”

“I can imagine,” Atem sighed wistfully. Yugi just grinned back, flashing his teeth.

“I’ll see you later, then, Prince Atem.”

“Until next time, Prince Yugi,” Atem dipped his head. He watched Yugi descend back under the water, disappearing out to sea.

* * *

Yugi left the beach and headed straight for Ryou’s workshop. He clutched the box tightly, keeping an eye on it to make sure the containment spell didn’t suddenly break. Magic had its uses, but it was fragile at best. It lacked the power it used to have, many centuries ago.

“Hey Ryou, I’m back,” Yugi said, announcing his arrival. He swam through the main room, looking around for any traces of the merman.

“One second! I’m- _fuck_!” he heard Ryou’s shouts from somewhere out back.

“Don’t kill yourself out there!” Yugi shouted back, rolling his eyes for good measure. He made it a rule to never traverse out beyond the front chamber of Ryou’s domain, too cautious of what madness could be found back there.

Ryou eventually stumbled through a side door, his hair a clumped mess. Things stuck out of it, half buried in the snowy depths.

“Should I come back later…?” Yugi asked, hesitant to continue.

“No no, now’s fine,” Ryou’s eyes lit up, zeroing in on the box in Yugi’s hand. “Is that my powder?”

“It is,” Yugi held out the box, which Ryou gratefully grabbed. He peeked inside, opening the lid just enough to shove his eyes inside.

“Wow, I don’t know how you got it done, but it’s perfect,” he said, examining the box and turning it around in his hands.

“It stays my secret,” Yugi chuckled with a wink.

“Well, I can’t get you to tell me so I suppose a secret it shall stay,” Ryou hummed. He gently placed the box down on a table before moving to another, scooping his arms full of new tools. “Could you help me with something else, actually?”

“Sorry Ryou, I’ll have to pass this time,” Yugi smiled sadly. “I’ll be needed in court more often now, and it’s hard to split my time.”

“That’s okay, I’ll find someone else. Your responsibilities outweigh my need for ingredients.” Ryou nodded in understanding.

“Maybe I can find someone for you to replace me in the future,” Yugi grinned. “You know, when I’m king I’ll be able to pitch law changes.”

“I fear when that happens,” Ryou snorted.

“Hey, it’ll benefit you more than you know,” Yugi stuck his tongue out, making sure Ryou turned to see it.

“I can’t wait, wow,” Ryou said, in the most deadpan voice Yugi had ever heard.

“Rude!” Yugi puffed up his cheeks, fluttering his ear fins back and forth in an obnoxious way.

“Yes yes, as you say, your majesty,” Ryou waved him off with a chuckle.

“Well in that case, I’ll just leave you to it then. I’ll be back sometime during the week, hopefully.”

“Until then, Yugi. Take care.”

“You too,” Yugi nodded, swishing his tail to slide out of the room.

No sooner had Yugi left Ryou’s area that he was hunted down by a servant from the palace, marked by the sky-blue bands Anzu had them wear.

_Oh great, they need me again!?_ Yugi inwardly groaned. He waited until the servant was close enough to relay their message, pinning them with an expectant look.

They bowed. “Your majesty, your presence has been requested in the council chambers.”

“By whom?” _Grandfather wouldn’t summon me unless there was a meeting, but I know there was nothing planned for today,_ Yugi frowned.

“Council member Furi, your majesty.”

_What does she want?_ Yugi rolled his eyes, careful to make sure the servant wouldn’t see him. “Very well then. Thank you for the message, you’re dismissed.”

He propelled himself through the water, changing his trajectory towards the palace._ I wonder what they want this time_, he inwardly groaned. _If it’s not related to kingdom affairs, I will be _very_ annoyed at this interruption._

He entered one of the lower levels, ducking inside into the cool marble tunnel. The path led him down to the meeting rooms tucked off in the sides. The one he was heading for was straight down the hall; the largest, with a throne at the end of the centre table.

Furi was floating around inside, arms crossed over her chest and fins twitching as her tail trailed back and forth.

Her gaze turned to Yugi as he entered. “Prince Yugi, thank you for coming.” She gave a customary bow.

“Furi, what matters require my attention this time?” Yugi did his best not to sound annoyed, but he felt it more than anything else.

“Some of us on the council have been led to question your dedication to your lineage.”

“I understand my responsibilities as prince to the kingdom,” Yugi said through gritted teeth. “I hope you do as well.”

Furi tipped her nose up, arms crossed across her chest in a position Yugi knew too well. “Perhaps it would be better to leave your tours of the kingdom to someone of lower rank. Your time would be better spent on palace matters.”

“I don’t agree,” Yugi shot back. “If you have concerns about how I handle my role in the kingdom, then I encourage this discussion to take place during a council meeting. This conversation is over.”

Furi’s mouth was open, ready to speak again but Yugi drew himself straight up, fins puffed out and a scowl on his face. She backed down, retreating.

He waited for Furi to leave first, swishing her tail to storm out of the room. Yugi felt his fins twitch angrily, betraying just how irritated he was.

_What the fuck do I have to do to get some respect around here?_ Yugi hissed, slapping his tail through the water. He stayed floating in the same location, using his torso to keep himself upright. It made his action useless, but it had been what he was aiming for. Useless rage.

The advisors would never treat his grandfather like this. Hadn’t he done enough to earn their respect? _Or is it like grandfather says, that my tardiness occasionally is effecting my image to the council, _Yugi considered_. Hmm. I suppose Atem and I will have to co-ordinate our meetings better, to allow me more time to stake my claim to the crown. I will not have any council member tainting my image for the sake of their own gain._

When it came time for him to take the throne, Yugi was sure he would be rearranging who sat at those chairs. He wasn’t looking forward to having his freedom destroyed by the weight of kingship, but if it meant he could make a difference to help more of his people, then he would carry it. All he had to do was continue forward, and wait until his time would come.

* * *

Perhaps Atem wouldn’t have to worry about his marriage, if those bells continued their blaring toll. He felt like the only one twitching from his ear drums slowly dying. Did they have to be that loud? The whole kingdom would know what was going on, hearing the ringing all the way to the northern border.

But he supposed that was the point.

All around him, people were chatting excitedly. He saw countless smiles, and the chime of the bells didn’t stop for a moment.

Atem fidgeted nervously, trying to resist picking at his clothes. His father was standing beside him, although his attention was far from Atem at that moment. He was talking quietly with a passerby, those whose job it was to set up the wedding and assure everything would work out smoothly.

Eventually his father finished speaking to people, and turned to face the doors. “Atem,” he said in a low voice.

“Yes, father?”

“I’m proud of you for doing this. I know you don’t want to. But for the good of the kingdom, you’ve been doing very well.”

Atem was taken aback, and even though he tried his best to keep his expression even, he knew from the twitch of his eyelids the surprise showed on his face.

“I… uh…”

Aknamkanon smiled down at him. “You don’t have to say anything, it’s all right. I understand.”

Atem nodded weakly, staring ahead at the doors in an attempt to distract himself.

A servant hurried up to them, ducking her head quickly. “Preparations have been completed, your majesty. Everyone is ready to move on your command.”

“Good,” Aknamkanon nodded, looking very pleased. “Then let’s begin.”

The servant bowed and raced away, whispering loudly to other servants she passed on her way out. Aknamkanon flexed his hands, adjusting the position of his cuffs. “Are you ready, Atem?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

The doors opened in front of them, and Atem stepped forward. A hush fell over the crowd inside, all heads turning to gaze directly at them.

Atem felt rigid, his steps hitting the floor with jarring force. His father walked beside him, seeming far more easy-going than Atem.

Seto was already waiting at the end of the carpet, on a raised platform next to the priest. All were watching Atem and his father walk.

Aknamkanon left Atem by the steps leading upwards, letting him take them by himself.

Once he reached the pedestal, the music stopped, and a hush fell over the room. With no one whispering in conversation, the priest stepped forward, clearing his throat.

He began to prattle the usual speeches associated with marriage, how together they would bring the kingdom into a new and prosperous time. Atem mostly zoned out, eyes staring down at the person standing to the side, holding a plush pillow with their rings on it.

“Atem Sennen,” the priest turned towards him, and Atem jumped to attention. “Prince of Khemet, do you take Seto Kaiba to be your husband, to stand by his side through better or worse?”

The ring bearer stepped forward, offering the pillow. Seto plucked one of the rings off, turning an expectant gaze to Atem.

“…I do,” Atem said, and Seto slipped the ring around his finger.

The priest nodded, turning away towards Seto. “And do you, Seto Kaiba, take Atem Sennen to be your husband, and stand by his side through better or worse?”

“I do,” Seto said. Atem swallowed, picking up Seto’s hands. With his other hand, he pushed the ring onto one of Seto’s fingers, sliding it until it was tight.

“Then by the powers given to me by the gods above, I now hereby declare you to be wedded.” The priest bellowed, throwing his hands up into the air.

The crowd cheered, a roar of clapping filling the space around them. Seto held his head high, nodding at several people he made eye contact with. Atem, meanwhile, stared straight ahead, making sure he avoided every gaze.

He had expected the day he was married to be one of excitement, but instead he just wanted it to be over.

“Are you ready for the feast?” Seto spoke gently.

_I have no choice. _“Yes, I suppose.”

Seto stepped forward, beckoning for Atem to follow. He went.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for unreliable updates ive been sick and had no time to edit and do inbetween stuff ;;  
But hey, everyone's favourite brand of thunder is finally here, so ;;;;)

Atem stared down at his hand, turning his palm around and around. With his other fingers, he fiddled with the ring, spinning it and rubbing over the smooth gold.

He strode down the hallways of the palace, barely paying attention to where he was going, letting both his mind and body wander.

Since his marriage, the castle had been working to build a new set of chambers for Atem. They were modifying his previous ones, adding in enough new furniture to accommodate Seto’s permanent residence.

In the meantime, Atem had been given an extra room, next to the guest room Seto was staying in since his arrival. Come the completion, Seto would be moving in with Atem. Since they were married, it was expected of them to share chambers.

Atem didn’t like it, but he knew he couldn’t argue, so he kept his mouth shut.

“Atem!” The sound of his father’s voice made him pause. Glancing around, he watched his father strut up to him, holding a book nestled against his hip.

“Father,” Atem gave the customary short bow. “What is it?”

“The marriage was a fantastic success,” his father beamed. “Well done, Atem.”

“I’m very pleased to hear that. I hope this decision benefits the kingdom greatly,” Atem replied evenly.

“However, and I know you’re going to dislike this conversation, son, but it’s one we must have.”

_Another thing?_ Atem frowned. _What more can he want from me?_ “That is not a promising approach, but, I will reserve judgement.”

“Good. Now, there’s something worth discussing early, before you start to make up your mind on things and get stubborn, like I know you will.”

“I-” Atem grunted, stopping himself. “All right, I won’t deny that. What is it, then?”

“You need to start considering selecting an heir to raise,” his father said.

_I just got married!_ Atem held his tongue, but couldn’t resist huffing softly. _Isn’t that good enough for now? I have to think about children too? _He cursed his ancestors for their stupid rules, and obsession with coming of age as soon as possible.

“But I’m not yet thirty,” Atem protested. “Surely this could wait until later?”

His father sighed, and Atem resigned himself to an argument in the making.

But he remembered his conversations with Yugi, and the merman’s words hung close to his heart. _I should try to be nicer, it serves no purpose to be so gruff._

“Very well, I’ll consider it at the very least,” he said.

Aknamkanon nodded, looking as relieved as Atem felt. “What are your husband’s thoughts on the matter?”

_Husband…_ Atem tried not to tense up. He wasn’t used to having one, and now that he did… He wasn’t sure what to make of it yet.

“I don’t know, I haven’t asked Seto anything about his past.” Atem answered.

His father stroked his beard, contemplating silently. Atem waited patiently, until Aknamkanon finally spoke again.

“Could you speak to Seto about it, perhaps?” he asked.

“…I could,” Atem replied. “He might have a solution to benefit us both.” He figured since his father was been amicable, he would make the effort to return the gesture.

“Indeed. I’ll let you carry on with that, then,” Aknamkanon nodded, stepping away.

_That was unexpected,_ Atem blinked, watching his father walk off. _But not unwelcome…_

He decided to leave it alone, not wanting to spend time worry about something else. After all, there was plenty on his mind already.

He was most of the way back to his temporary chambers next to Seto, so he continued on through the hallways. Reaching the flat wooden doors, he paused in front of Seto’s, eyeing it cautiously.

He really _should_ go in… Would it be awkward? They were only just married, and he knew Seto felt as strange about it as Atem did.

There was a soft sound of scratching papers through the door. Atem hesitated, one hand flush with the wood. _This is foolish, why am I standing here like this?_ Atem huffed._ Just get it over with._ He knocked, waiting for Seto to call him inside before opening the door.

“Hey,” Atem said as he entered._ Very suave, Atem. Good job._

“Hello, your majesty,” Seto replied. Atem paused, fiddling with his hands awkwardly.

“…You don’t have to call me that,” he said slowly.

“Hmm,” was Seto’s only response. He glanced over at Atem, who stiffened at the eye contact. “You look concerned.” he noted.

“I suppose you could say I am,” Atem gave a brief smile. “My father... has asked me about heirs.”

“Heirs?” Seto frowned, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t see why not. For a king, it must be a concern for him.”

“I suppose.”

“But you don’t care.”

“I really don’t,” Atem admitted. “I’m sorry, but… I’m not interested in having a child.”

Seto hummed, scratching his chin. “There are other options, though. One I can present that might be beneficial for both of us.”

“What is it?”

Seto put his book down, giving Atem his full attention. “I have a bastard son. I sent for him after your proposal, and he should be arriving within the month.”

“Why send him here?”

“He could use the change of scenery. I don’t think he enjoys life at my home,” Seto shrugged, not seemingly caring about what he was saying.

“But he’s of no relation to me. What makes you mention him in this discussion of heirs?” Atem pointed out.

“That’s true, but then, if you’re looking for a creative solution that lacks the… sexual intention of other methods, this could work.”

Ah, now he understood. “You wish to legitimise him as our heir?”

“If you would consider it.”

_I don’t see why not. Maybe I should mention it to Yugi, though. He always has such an interesting view on everything, it could help. _

“I will,” Atem replied to Seto. “At the very least, I would be delighted to meet your son regardless.”

“Very good,” Seto gave a curt nod, turning back to his work.

It sounded very much like a dismissal, and Atem was taken aback by the briskness of it. But then, he had to remember Seto had been the ruler of his own piece of land. Out in a shire, there would have been no one above him aside from occasional messages from the crown.

“I’ll see you later, then,” Atem said awkwardly, edging out of the room. Once he was away, he rolled his eyes, giving an annoyed huff. _If this is what our relationship is going to be like, we’re going to have to have words about it. I don’t appreciate being cut off like that. _He was fine with being told to leave, but so coldly? _Does he treat everyone like that? Is that what I have to deal with from now on?_

He stopped outside his temporary quarters, slamming a hand down on the door in irritation with a deep scowl across his face.

Before he could go inside, a servant interrupted him, rushing up and calling out his title.

“Yes, what is it?” Atem asked.

“My Prince, your shared quarters are fully prepared now,” they said.

“Ah, thank you,” Atem replied. The servant bowed, scurrying away as fast as they had arrived.

With the new information in his possession, he changed direction, heading away from his and Seto’s separate rooms.

Sadly, Yugi would have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

Atem stood out at the front steps of the palace, waiting. Beside him was Seto, towering far above, gaze straight and posture even straighter.

It seemed like he had just done this not long ago, with Seto himself arriving. But this time, it was with Seto, waiting for his son to join them.

Atem’s possible future heir.

He had concerns about legitimising this boy; he knew nothing about them, and would have to learn quickly. _And besides, Seto is a count, not a prince even in our marriage. How can I know his son will make a good king after me? _Atem chewed at his lip nervously, hands clenching and unclenching by his sides. He hoped he was making the right decision here. If he filled this kid’s head full of royal ideals, and then eventually had to cut him off from them, what would happen? Could the boy take it gracefully?

Or...would he even have the chance to? Atem was acutely aware of the risk of illness a child faced. Even if the kid had lived to fourteen, he was still at risk of developing something before his twenties. _Maybe I’m overthinking this_, Atem nervously twitched his hands._ I’m sure he’s fine, and this will work out fine. I just need to give him a chance._

The two of them heard the horses before they saw the entourage. A carriage pulled up in front of them, the driver nudging the horses to a stop.

The door swung open, and out stepped a teenager. The boy was young but taller than Atem had expected; he supposed that was a trait from Seto. Long, messy black hair stuck up much like Atem’s in a thick and untameable collection.

He stopped just in front of Atem and Seto, standing somewhere in between their respective heights.

“Greetings, your majesty,” he bowed, blinking dark eyes down at Atem. “My name is Jun Manjoume. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

_Manjoume? Strange that he didn’t take the Kaiba name._ Atem glanced towards Seto, but his husband gave no sign he was paying attention.

“Hello, Jun. The pleasure is mine. Welcome to the palace,” Atem gave him a curt nod, and the boy straightened.

“We’ll show you to your new quarters, Jun.” Seto said, gesturing the boy forward. He stalked inside, and Atem hurried to keep pace. They stopped in the main hall as Seto began to relay details to his son.

“…And you’ll need to keep up with your studies, as well as whatever his majesty decides to give you on top of that.”

“Yes father.”

“And Prince Atem here may have some tasks for you, which you’ll need to maintain as well, should he deem you worthy.”

“I understand, you said all of this in your last letter,” Jun sighed.

“Be polite, your new father is here.” Seto frowned, disapproval oozing from his form.

_God this is awkward,_ Atem shrunk back. _I should leave while I can get away._ “Excuse me, but I’ll be back, I need some… alone time. Perhaps tomorrow I could spend some time with Jun.”

“Very well then,” Seto said. He turned back to his son. “Come on Jun, let’s sort out your quarters.”

“Yes father,” Jun muttered. As they left Atem behind, he couldn’t help but see a part of himself in Jun’s attitude. _Is that how I sound to my father?_ He frowned. _Huh…_

It unnerved him how easily he could compare himself to a teenager. He tucked away his worries for another time. For now, he would make for the beach again. Yugi might be down there, and if there was anyone he would want to talk to, it was the merman.

He managed to leave the palace without making contact with anyone. With Mahad out fulfilling orders, he had little attention to spare for anyone else skulking around.

The trip down to the beach was uneventful, but gratefully quick. His mare always knew where to take him, and could sense his mood today.

He trotted down to the beach, to the tide pools nestled under the cliff side. 

“Yugi?” Atem glanced around. Though the water was clear, it wasn’t pure crystal, and Atem couldn’t see too far out past the shoreline.

He sat down on the side of their tide pool, making himself comfortable. _With all the time I spend out here, maybe I should bring a pillow, _he mused.

There was a splash, causing Atem to jump. Out over the waves, he saw something duck back down under the water, too fast to make out.

A moment later, Yugi’s form appeared from below, his head popping up from the pool. His eyes locked with Atem’s, widening in surprise.

“Oh, shit, sorry… You weren’t waiting long were you?” he asked.

“No, it’s fine,” Atem smiled.

“Good. You have no idea how grateful I am to be able to get away today,” Yugi sighed, happily sprawling himself down on the rocks.

“It’s nice to get away from home too,” Atem agreed.

“So, tell me; what has been happening to the newlyweds?”

“Well, I uh… I have an adopted son now,” Atem chuckled nervously.

“A son?” Yugi’s eyes widened, blinking rapidly. “Uh… huh… From your husband, I assume?”

“Yes. A bastard he’s had for a while. He’s fourteen years old right now, which is a good age to begin the lessons I took as a child. Not ideal - younger would have been better, but he shows some interest in it, which is good.”

“What is a bastard?” Yugi tilted his head, eyes still like moons staring up at Atem.

“Ah… a child not born to married parents. It’s… it just means they can’t inherit titles, I suppose. It’s something only royalty really cares about.”

“Do _you_ care about it?”

“I _am_ royalty. But it doesn’t matter to me. They only thing that matters is my father’s approval so that he will stop questioning me,” Atem rolled his eyes.

“Interesting,” Yugi muttered, and Atem had the distinct impression Yugi wasn’t saying it to him. “Will you take over your throne now?”

“Not yet,” Atem replied. “It’s just tradition to begin preparing heirs early.”

“Why?” The pure curiosity in his expression alone made Atem want to pour his heart out to him. There was something ethereal about Yugi; the way his teeth pointed too sharply to be human, the deep shine in his eyes, pools of a colour Atem had never seen before. Each time they turned towards Atem, he saw a new shade of purple within them.

Such as right now. “Hello? Atem?” Yugi frowned, head tilted to the side.

“Oh… s-sorry, I kind of zoned out,” Atem gave a sheepish grin.

“My question?”

“Oh, right. Well humans have a bit of a history of being susceptible to deadly disease, you see. So it’s somewhat ingrained into our society to train children for their trades at an early age. You can imagine why, I assume.”

“A strange custom, hmm,” Yugi tapped his chin, looking thoughtful. “But humans are strange indeed. So, you will be training this boy, or will your husband?”

“Seto has already started with him, but there are some things I know that Seto doesn’t.”

“Do you like him? The boy?”

Atem sighed deeply, leaning over the rocks to dip his fingers into the water. “I don’t know yet. I’ve barely spoken to the kid, and suddenly I’m his parent? He seems to have a tense relationship with his father, and being in the same place together is sure to provide an interesting experience. For better or worse.”

“Make the most of it, I’d say. You have to live with them both, but between all of you, the water is still. Before it has the chance to stir up, find the path that will keep the ripples at bay.”

“Do you _always_ give advice like that?” Atem laughed, unable to stop himself.

“Only when I know I’ll get a reaction,” Yugi’s eyes crinkled in delight.

They lapsed into a comfortable silence; Yugi lounging against the rocks, seemingly soaking up the sunshine. Atem shuffled around, taking his finger out of the water to rest his head, hands nestled under his chin.

“I’m going to try my best to treat Seto’s child well,” he spoke up.

Yugi cracked an eye open towards him. “Oh?”

Atem nodded with a hum. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and the conversations we’ve had. Not to mention when he arrived, he… reminded me a lot of myself, with how he spoke to his father. It was unnerving to say the least.”

“A slap of reality, no doubt,” Yugi laughed, then stopped. “Oh… that wasn’t rude, was it?”

“You’re fine,” Atem smiled at him. “Though I appreciate you checking. Who would have thought you’d get so considerate?”

“Don’t get too high and mighty now,” Yugi snorted.

“I’ll try not to.”

“Good,” Yugi pursed his lips, his expression growing dim. “Hey so… things have been happening below the waves, and I’m afraid I must be dedicating more time to my people, dear prince. I won’t be able to meet you here so often.”

Somehow, the moment Yugi had begun speaking, Atem knew it wouldn’t be something good. “I understand. I think I’ll be the same, what with this new kid showing up. I’ll have to look after him, and my father will start to draw me into more matters of the kingdom.” It felt almost taboo to speak, like mentioning it would assure it would transpire.

“Who would have thought we’d both be princes, so busy with our two kingdoms?” Yugi mused with a chuckle.

“Makes me wish we could just share it, so I don’t have to do everything,” Atem laughed. Yugi snorted, flashing him a grin.

“Oh don’t get my hopes up like that, you devilfish.”

Atem smiled. “But we’ll come back, won’t we? We can meet again?”

“Of course. I’d be very upset if we couldn’t.”

Atem leaned down, pausing. His eyes drifted to Yugi’s lips, the glimmer of water shining off them.

Yugi was watching him closely, and Atem felt panicked. “I… er… I’ll see you later, then.”

“Until then, dear prince.”

“…Until then,” Atem whispered. He scrambled up to his feet, hurrying away from the beach. His cheeks burnt, and he wasn’t sure it was from the sunshine or… something else.


	10. Chapter 10

Atem strode down the palace corridors, breathing a sigh of relief. He had finally managed to wriggle away from all the people demanding his attention. Ever since the marriage, it seemed like everyone in the kingdom wanted he and Seto to deal with their problems, and Aknamkanon was all too happy to oblige this. At the very least, he seemed pleased that Atem was taking more of the kingdom onto his shoulders. In a way, that made the extra work worth it to have such pleasant times with his father.

He wasn’t in the mood to spend an awkward afternoon with Seto, so he took a longer route up to their quarters, giving him more time to think it over.

The path took him past Jun’s chambers. His room was a level below Seto and Atem’s, Atem had forgotten._ I might as well take this chance to talk with him and ask how he’s adjusting._

The door was propped open already, no doubt due to the lazy heat permeating the air. Atem glanced in on Jun, keeping his movements as slow and quiet as possible.

He seemed to be deep in concentration, brows scrunched close together and his gaze glued to the book in front of him. While he seemed to have his attention forward, he didn’t look that engrossed in his work. _He looks like he won’t mind the interruption. Perhaps even welcome it, _Atem thought.

Atem trotted into the room after a brief knock. “Hey Jun, how go the studies?”

“Your majesty,” Jun acknowledged him, in a very similar fashion to his father. “I’m making good progress, your grace.”

“Please, I’m not the king. You don’t need to address me so formally,” Atem coughed awkwardly.

“As you wish.”

_He seems bored. Maybe I can take him out with the horses. _“It’s a nice day outside,” Atem said, glancing out the window. “Would you like to go for a ride?”

Atem could swear he saw the kid’s face light up, eyes shining. But then it was gone, and he was cautious again.

“I’d like to, but do we have time? Surely you are too busy for such leisure?” he asked.

Atem gave him a smile, patting his shoulder. “I have time to spend with you, don’t worry. If you want to ride, we’ll ride.”

“I’d… really like that.”

“Then let’s ride,” Atem clapped his hands together. 

Jun excitedly ditched his study work, following behind Atem as he strode out of the room.

Atem lead him down to the stables. Jun’s enthusiasm seemed contagious, as Atem couldn’t wipe the smile from his face the entire time.

Once inside, Atem paused, examining all of the available horses behind their stalls. Mana stuck her head over the door, neighing at him eagerly.

“I didn’t see you bring in a horse when you arrived, so you’ll have to use one of ours,” Atem turned to Jun, gesturing down the line of horses. “Feel free to choose one you like.”

“Thanks,” Jun grinned. He scurried away to examine the horses, taking his time to decide from the available ones.

After going back and forth several times, Jun stopped in front of a stallion. He was bulky and tall, towering over both of them. His huge head bent down towards Jun, breathing heavily over his face. He snorted loudly before nibbling on Jun’s hair, prompting Jun to laugh, swatting him away.

“This one,” Jun said.

“Very well.”

They rose onto their horses, leading them out of the stables with Atem in the lead.

“You know how to ride, right?” he asked as they trotted away from the palace.

“Yes.”

“Excellent. Feel free to go wherever nearby you like, so long as it’s still on the plains. The forests aren’t safe for horses to navigate, so don’t go that far north.”

“Okay,” Jun nodded and immediately squeezed his legs against the stallion. He and the horse surged off.

Jun seemed like a natural, knowing exactly how to read the horse below him. Atem marvelled at how he tore down the road, and how eager the stallion was to obey his commands. He was impressed, to say the least. The boy showed a lot of potential.

_I wonder if his father knows?_ It felt like he probably didn’t, or if he did, that Seto didn’t care enough to pay attention to it. _He probably doesn’t consider it a priority in Jun’s learning,_ Atem reasoned. _But then what does he do for fun? When he’s stressed, how does he deal with that? _There seemed like more than a few things wrong with the relationship, and Atem wasn’t sure if he should involve himself.

_But I’m his step-father now. Maybe it is my responsibility to involve myself. I think, in a way, I’m already involved in the first place._

He could try, at the very least. Try and give Jun another option, another… parent, perhaps.

“Let’s head back,” Atem called out. “I don’t want to take you away from your studies for too long.”

Jun’s horse skidded to a stop, throwing its head back with a great huff. “Very well. I suppose father won’t be pleased if we’re both absent.”

“True, but he’s also not the king, nor the prince, so I won’t worry about that,” Atem chuckled.

He steered his horse towards the palace, and she leapt into motion. There was nothing else he needed to do as she trotted her way home, taking the path herself from memory.

Along the way, Atem glanced outward, towards the ocean. He knew he wouldn’t see anything out there, no purple flash of scales, but it didn’t stop him hoping. _He said he would be too busy,_ he reasoned. _Of course you won’t see him out there. Yugi has his own problems to deal with. He doesn’t live on your beck and call._

“Your majesty?” Jun’s voice called out to him. Atem turned towards him, seeing Jun’s stallion a good few metres ahead of him.

“Sorry, just lost in thought,” Atem muttered, pushing his horse forward.

They returned to the stables, and Atem hopped off his mare. She meandered back into her stall, neighing softly. Atem gave her an appreciative pat on the neck, scratching behind her ear.

Behind him, Jun was tending to his horse, leading him towards the other side of the stables. Atem watched him smiling at them, giving them soft pats and whispers.

“Was that good?” Atem asked.

“It was,” Jun turned to him, smiling. “Thank you for taking me out, your majesty.”

“No need for titles here, Jun. You can just call me Atem.”

“…all right,” Jun nodded. “Am I allowed to come down here when I want?”

“Of course you can,” Atem chuckled. “Why wouldn’t you be able to? You live here now. You’re more than welcome to take a horse out anytime you want. Just make sure you let someone know when you leave the palace, so we know where you are.”

“Right,” Jun just nodded, bowing quickly and striding off. Atem watched him go, a frown furrowing his brows close together. _He doesn’t seem to want anything to do with anyone. I wonder why he’s so distant like that?_

Perhaps it was something that ran in Seto’s family that he didn’t understand. _I’ll try my best, though,_ he vowed. He had said he would try with Jun, and he intended to keep his word.

* * *

It felt like weeks until he was next able to slip away. His father had been drilling him with more work, and while Atem enjoyed being able to provide his own input to the kingdom, he missed being able to visit with Yugi.

The simplicity of their meetings had become somewhat of a crutch for him. Yugi felt like a breath of fresh air in his life, and the inspiration he seemed to ooze had become slightly addicting. There was a lot to the merman, and Atem wanted to know as much as he could. But with their respected responsibilities weighing them down, the distance seemed so much bigger.

He missed Yugi’s company.

The beach felt the same as it always had, and Atem relished in it. Even the salty tang of the breeze was a delight to breathe.

Nothing seemed to be disturbed at the rock piles. The water levels of the tide pools had changed since the last tidal variation, but it wasn’t by much. Some crabs scuttled around in the bottom of the shallow ones, and the moment Atem poked a finger down to disturb the water, they fled down into crevasses between the rocks.

He heard a splash behind him, and suddenly Yugi was poking his head out from the large tide pool, the one seemingly connected to the ocean outside.

“You’re here,” Atem hurried over. “I… wasn’t sure, after our last meeting.”

“I can kind of tell when you’re here. Call it magic if you like. The ocean guides the currents I ride on.”

Atem just nodded, not truly understanding. He figured Yugi just had a way of knowing these things, and he was okay with that. If it meant their meetings could happen more often, he would take whatever he could get.

“Anyway, I tried to get away sooner, but things have been picking up back home,” Yugi sighed. He practically sprawled himself over the rocks, pressing his chest and arms down.

“It’s been tough,” Atem agreed. “But really the worst thing has been losing this.”

“’This’?” Yugi tilted his head, fins flicking out as his hair shifted downward.

“Our time together- er, that is, being able to come down here and just relax. Talk. Be normal,” Atem gestured around them.

“Ah. Indeed. In that, I must agree. There’s something about being above the ocean that feels magical and exciting.”

“Up here?” Atem glanced down at the sand, feeding it through his fingers. “Nothing magical up here, I’m afraid. Your world seemed much more magical than mine.”

“In the literal sense, perhaps,” Yugi agreed. “But to me, it feels different. I wish I could visit your castle. I’m curious as to what it’s like inside.”

“I’d love to be able to take you,” Atem lit up. “There’s so much I could show you, if you could walk.”

“If only, eh?” Yugi grinned.

_Yeah,_ Atem deflated. _If only… _

“I should go, in case someone is looking for me,” Yugi sighed, rolling his eyes. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they were, it feels like that’s my life most days as it is.”

“I’d hate to be responsible for keeping the prince away from his people, then,” Atem laughed. “I’m glad I got to see you today, then, if only for a moment.”

“Likewise,” Yugi replied. Atem leaned forward, grasping one of Yugi’s hands in his. Sensing his chance, he brought it to his lips, gently pressing them against Yugi’s knuckles.

“Until then, Prince Yugi.”


	11. Chapter 11

Things had been growing busier around the kingdom over the past months. So much so that several of the staff had been sent out to other settlements to carry out messages and orders. Mahad had been gone for a while, off on one such mission. Atem had plenty to keep him busy, but the lack of a friend by his side had planted a sense of loneliness inside him.

He tried to ignore it, but without his usual crutch to de-stress with, it was hard to keep his feelings at bay.

Not for the first time, his thoughts wandered towards Yugi. He wondered how the mer prince was dealing with his responsibilities. How far was he from ascending the throne? Did he surround himself with friends or was he as lonely as Atem? Did he miss Atem at all? Perhaps it was presumptuous to assume he felt the same.

“Hey, your majesty!” Jun called to him.

“Hmm? Yes?” Atem shook his head, focusing back in on his surroundings. Jun’s horse was far ahead of his, stopped on the path. He was looking expectantly over at Atem.

“Are you coming or what?”

“Yes, yes, I’m coming,” Atem pushed his horse forward, catching up to Jun’s.

They were coming close to the cliff side, joining up with the path that twisted alongside the edge back to the palace. As he so often did, Atem found his gaze shifting out to the ocean, and peering down to the beach below.

He caught the distinctive sight of purple twinkling over the bright blue ocean waves. It stood in stark contrast against the rocks and holes of tide pools, and Atem knew immediately what it meant.

_It’s Yugi!_ He felt his heart soar seeing his friend. _He’s actually here! He must be waiting for me!_ Mana suddenly stopped, neighing in alarm. He turned back to see he had yanked back on her reigns, actions lost in his excitement.

“Sorry girl,” he whispered before raising his voice to address Jun. “Hold on, I forgot I needed to do something.” Atem dropped down from his horse, edging towards the path down to the beach.

“I’m in no rush to return home,” Jun said._ Oh no, I can’t let Jun see Yugi. Not like this._

“Er, privately, I’m afraid,” Atem smiled at him. “Perhaps you could join me next time.”

“Hmm. All right, I’ll carry on ahead, then,” Jun said, tapping at his horse’s sides. His stallion sprung forward, taking off down the dirt track towards the palace looming in the distance.

He waited until Jun was a small dot on the horizon before setting off himself.

Atem raced down to the beach, pausing once he reached the sand. He paused for a moment, keeping his gaze to the cliffs above. He made sure to skirt along the bottom of the rocks, out of view of anyone who might be watching above.

He doubted Jun had turned back, and Atem had double checked if anyone had been lurking around above. The good thing about living on clifftop plains meant that anything remotely resembling a hiding place was in the forests far to the north.

_I think we’ll be safe,_ Atem determined. He broke off from the cliff base, trotting over to the rocky expanse of seaweed and tide pools.

Yugi had his back to him, hands busy with something in front of him. He must have heard Atem’s approach crunching over the sand, as he turned around to face him. Atem couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the face he was greeted with.

Yugi had half a strand of seaweed shoved in his mouth, puffing up his cheeks and by extension his ear fins, stretching them out on either side of his face. He looked like a very surprised fish, caught in some forbidden act. It made Atem wonder if merpeople lived with fish. Did they have them as pets? Could they talk to them?

He figured it would be a stupid question to ask Yugi though, and he couldn’t be sure the answer would be truthful.

“Dried seaweed a favourite of the merpeople?” Atem asked, plopping down on the sand beside Yugi. 

“A delicacy, technically,” Yugi replied, snapping the lingering strand from out of his mouth and swallowing the rest. “Most of what we eat is wet and cold food down below. It’s just nice to have something different every now and then.”

“I can respect that. It is nice to have something different.”

“It is,” Yugi smiled. He shuffled closer, leaning on his hands and gazing up at Atem. “Now, tell me; what’s been happening with your kingdom lately, dear prince?”

“We’ve been so busy,” Atem sighed. He let the stress droop off his shoulders, collapsing down next to Yugi in a wobbly mess. “I feel like my bones are soup.”

Yugi seemed sympathetic, his eyes softening. “Anything I can help you with?”

“Hmm… I’m a little worried about Jun, actually.”

“Your son?”

“Yes- er, adopted son, technically. He seems so distant, and while I try my best, I can tell he shies away from both me and his father.”

“He’s scared of you?” Yugi tilted his head.

“Not scared. Just… apathetic, I think? He doesn’t seem to care much about being a prince. At least, around us he doesn’t. Me and his father, that is.”

“Perhaps you just need to give him more freedom,” Yugi hummed. “Let him come into the role on his own. Maybe when you ascend to the throne, he’ll show more of an interest. He’s still a teenager; let him live a little.”

Atem nodded. _He’s right… as always._ “Maybe I have been _too_ worried. I’ll take your advice into stride, thank you.”

“I have my moments,” Yugi smirked, looking very smug at himself.

Actually… I’d like to bring him down to meet you,” Atem said, swallowing audibly. “Would that be… okay?”

“Hmm. Another human?” Yugi frowned, tapping at his chin. “I’m not sure. It’s quite risky as it is, our meetings like this. Kind of illegal, really.”

“It’ll just be the once, I promise,” Atem continued. “I feel like he needs some inspiration, something to help him come out of his shell.”

“I’m not sure I’m the best to provide ‘inspiration’ to a young human. What makes you think I’d be beneficial to encouraging your son with whatever problem he has?”

“Well… you’ve inspired me before,” Atem said. “I think you just seem to have that affect, with your personality.”

“Interesting. Hmm…” Yugi scratched his chin, rubbing at the stubble there. Atem wondered if mermen could grow beards, and if the next time he saw Yugi over time, he might have one of some sort.

“I suppose I could dash away for a few minutes tomorrow,” Yugi relented.

“That would be excellent,” Atem smiled at him.

“Please don’t be disappointed if I can’t make it, though,” Yugi warned. “The council watches me with eyes unblinking, and it’s hard to get away from their grasp.”

“I understand, you don’t have to promise anything. Just the chance to see you again would be welcome.”

Yugi paused, staring at Atem strangely. He couldn’t read the emotion in Yugi’s face, but he seemed thoughtful. Maybe confused? What had Atem said that was strange, then? He didn’t know.

“I promise I’ll try, at least,” Yugi replied. He shuffled down off the rocks, dipping all but his head down into the water.

“That’s all I can ask from you, your highness.”

“Oh don’t you start too, I get enough of that back home,” Yugi scoffed. “Which I’m sure I’m about to return straight to in a moment.”

“I wish you luck, then, in your next meeting and those beyond.”

Yugi nodded, flashing Atem a smile before submerging himself below the surface. Atem watched his polished body reflect the sunlight back up to him, until Yugi passed under the rock ring and disappeared.

Atem sighed wistfully, staring longingly down at the tide pool. He wished he had a tail to race through the water like that. But he knew to Yugi, it was as much an extension of his cage as Atem’s royal blood was to him.

* * *

“…And people have been asking after more materials for building, on top of requests for expansion to the eastern seas. Our outer subjects have been expressing concern over human activity in their areas.”

“How serious are these claims?”

“It’s low priority currently, more of a nuisance than anything. Though there were several reports that came in, so it is worth monitoring in the future.”

“Very well then. What matter needs discussing next?”

Yugi just nodded slowly, only paying attention to half the words being spoken to him. The dull droning of the old council members was serving little more than as noise to lull him to sleep. Last time he had checked, he wasn’t required to attend meetings regarding small matters. That was why they had a council in the first place, how was he supposed to get his work done when he had to constantly check everyone else’s?

There was a brief cough to his side, and he glanced over, entertaining Furi’s gaze for a moment. She gave him an expectant look, to which Yugi just ignored.

_All right, time to light some flames under those scales and get them moving. _“Council,” he said. Voices hushed, all eyes turning to him at the end of the table. He took a moment to bask in the commanding presence of the throne, pressed coldly against his back and towering over his small body.

“I do not believe there is a need to discuss these matters during our allotted appointment times. Are there not more important matters to discuss regarding the kingdom?”

The council members all glanced at each other, cautious brows lowered. Elise threaded hair behind her ear fins while Furi stared at the table. Amandus cleared his through, drawing the room’s attention. “These are the matters of the kingdom to discuss, your highness. This is what the council is for-”

“Actually, there are some important matters that have come to our attention,” Furi interrupted.

Amandus stuttered to a stop, frowning at Furi. “Ah… I suppose there is. Carry on then, Furi.”

“What are these, Furi?” Yugi asked.

“They concern yourself, your highness,” Furi explained. “We have been discussing this with the king, and we all agree it may be time for you to invest in a successor.”

An heir? He felt like he had already had this conversation, but it hadn’t been about him, then. It felt like just yesterday Atem had been smiling awkwardly at him, nervously talking about the adopted son that had been suddenly tossed into his life. _And now it’s my turn, heh._ The bizarre humour of their lives as princes wasn’t lost on Yugi.

But then what would they want him to do? Yugi knew he had a duty to the throne, and he was willing to do much to keep the kingdom strong, but when it came to an heir there were some things even he would have to say no to.

_Is this how Atem had to learn about this?_ Yugi inwardly groaned. How he wished he could just adopt Atem’s son as his heir. Then maybe they could reintroduce humans and merpeople together, and Yugi wouldn’t have to constantly hide under the ocean’s protection. He wanted to explore, break free of the limitations their society seemed hell-bent on pressing down onto them. _What is the point of this power if not to make lives better? _Yugi huffed.

If he had his way with his plan for the kingdom, things _would_ get better. They could spark something that his and Atem’s heirs could build on during their reigns. _Look at me, fantasising about something so far off._

“Your highness?” Elise prompted him. Yugi snapped back into his surroundings, blinking around at the merpeople watching him.

“My grandfather hasn’t made any announcements regarding his position yet,” Yugi replied. “Until I am seated on the throne, I see no point to name a successor when I myself am currently _the successor._”

“Given how you spend more and more time on the throne in recent times, your highness, we feel it may be appropriate.”

Yugi twitched his ear fins, flicking them upwards. “I have no desire to pursue this until I am king. This matter can wait until then.”

“But your-”

“My decision is final. I will discuss this privately with my grandfather to assure he approves as well. Now, is there anything else we need to talk about, or are we done here?”

Silence met his question across the table. He met all of their brief gazes, until someone had the nerve to speak up.

“I believe there is nothing else on my list,” Amandus muttered. “Elise? Furi? Anything from your departments?”

They both shook their heads.

Yugi jumped on the opportunity. “Very well then. This meeting is adjourned. Dismissed.” He leapt from the throne chair, batting his tail against the stone to shoot off down a doorway.

_I suppose I owe Atem an apology, after I mocked his people for choosing his heir so soon,_ Yugi mused. _I had no idea we did that as well. I was only chosen after my grandfather felt I was ready. Perhaps not everyone sees it the same way… _

It seemed like even in his daily life, things reminded him of Atem. _Why do I find him so fascinating?_ Yugi wondered. _Is it because he’s the first human I’ve ever met? It must be. What else is there...?_

With Atem in his thoughts, Yugi remembered his promise to him. Leaving the palace behind him, he made straight for Ryou’s place on the outskirts to the north.

For once, Ryou was actually outside. Every time Yugi came to visit, Ryou was always huddled away in his lab, tinkering around with a spell or item of some sort. It was a shame, Yugi thought, as he watched Ryou’s gorgeous white scales shimmer in the fingers of sunlight that reached the bottom.

“So this is the elusive ‘snow’ I’ve heard so much about in ancient legends!” Yugi shouted down at him, cackling wildly.

Ryou’s head snapped up to him, and he scowled. “The legends also tell of snow to the far north. Where there isn’t ocean, and therefore, there isn’t Ryou. Sorry, but you’ll have to keep on guessing.”

“Ha ha, so funny,” Yugi rolled his eyes. “You don’t know there isn’t ocean past the human lands. It could circle back around somewhere far to the north.”

“Even if it did, the water is surely too frigid up there to be habitable. Otherwise, we’d have records of it, no doubt,” Ryou countered. He flipped around, swimming down from the top of his house to the entryway.

Yugi followed behind him, floating down to the doorframe to grip the edge and push himself inside.

“What brings his greatness down to my humble abode today?” Ryou asked.

“I need you to make a charm for me.”

“For personal use, I assume?”

“No no, for someone else. A gift.”

“You proposing to Anzu?” Ryou grinned, waggling his eyebrows.

“Not Anzu, no-” Yugi paused. “Wait a minute, this isn’t a ceremonial gift! I’m not getting married!”

“So you say,” Ryou nodded, doing nothing to give Yugi a good impression he wasn’t being sarcastic. “Someone else then? Your new mystery friend?”

Yugi huffed bubbles from his gills and nose, narrowing his eyes at Ryou.

Ryou threw up his hands. “All right, all right. I’m just messing with you, don’t make that face at me.”

“It’s my serious face, and it always gets the job done, does it not?” Yugi tipped his head upwards, flashing his teeth in a wide grin.

“Don’t give me that expression, I don’t need to be constantly reminded how abnormally sharp your teeth are, your highness.”

“Come on, I need it on a necklace before tomorrow.”

“Of course of course,” Ryou waved him off. “If there’s nothing else then, get out and leave me to my work.”

“All right, I’m going. Thanks, Ryou.” Yugi shuffled around in place, turning to swim outside.

He heard Ryou muttering behind him, bringing a smile to his face. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow.

* * *

Atem hurried down to Jun’s room, a bounce lining his step. Seeing Yugi twice in one week? It felt like a century since they had last hung out so frequently. He had really missed the merman. Yugi’s toothy grin and quick wit had become such a wonderful source of entertainment that without it, he felt a noticeable change in his enthusiasm. He still felt fine, and acted as such around his husband and father, but he could feel an ache inside every time he wondered about Yugi.

Is it normal, to miss a friend this much?

But then, he didn’t feel quite like this when Mahad was out on duty. He missed his friend when he was gone, yes, but it… wasn’t the same as what he felt with Yugi.

_But why?_ He wondered._ I don’t understand… Ah well, never mind, it doesn’t matter today. Not when I get to see him again, if even for just a moment. I wonder how he’ll feel about Jun… _

Atem stopped in front of Jun’s room, tapping on the door. Jun called him inside, and he poked his head around.

“Jun! I have plans for us today.” He hoped over to the boy, grinning widely. Not only was confidence radiating off his body, but he could feel the way he bounced in excitement. He certainly felt more eager than Jun looked.

“I was going to go riding today…” Jun muttered.

“You can, after this. I wanted you to meet a friend of mine. Someone I think you might be interested to see.”

“Who are they?”

“That’s a secret until we get there,” Atem chuckled.

“Okay,” Jun nodded. _He’s so uncaring,_ Atem noted with a frown. _I wish he would come out of his shell more, but I suppose it will take a while. I have to let him grow at his own pace._

He took Jun down to the stables, where they saddled up their horses. Jun seemed to know where they were headed. He followed behind Atem closely, taking the winding path with the same expert knowledge Atem had. _Clever boy.._. He must have worked out where Atem was taking him.

Sure enough, as Atem began to slow down as they reached the break off point down to the beach, Jun was already reading his horse to jump down from.

Heading down to where the grass shed away into sand, Atem paused before reaching the tide pools.

“Hold on, I have to check if he’s here,” Atem said. Jun nodded silently in reply, and Atem stepped out closer to the rocks.

“Yugi? Yugi, it’s Atem!” he shouted out to the ocean. He caught Jun’s suspicious glance to his side, but ignored it, keeping his gaze out on the waves.

He waited patiently, listening out for anything. All he could make out was the gentle lapping of the shoreline, sighing repetitively without fail. But then he heard it; a small splash, to his right.

He trotted over closer to the tide pools, and sure enough, Yugi was there. Mostly submerged, so only the top of his head and eyes dipped above. He blinked up at Atem, relief pouring over his face at seeing him.

“Hello Atem,” He smiled up at him, and Atem felt something flutter in his chest.

“Yugi,” he greeted back. “You still okay with this?”

“I trust you,” Yugi nodded.

That meant a lot to hear. Atem stuttered, struggling to get words through his mouth. “I… r-right then.” He gestured Jun to come closer. “Jun, this is Yugi. He’s prince of the merpeople.”

“You’re a mermaid?”

“Merman,” Yugi corrected with a twitch of his fins. Atem knew it to be a sign he was irritated, but Jun didn’t seem to care or notice at all.

“Can’t say that’s impressive,” Jun shrugged. “You’re just a person with a fish tail.”

“Jun,” Atem scolded. “Be polite please.”

“It’s all right Atem,” Yugi laughed. “I appreciate the honesty. It’s nice to meet you, Prince Jun.”

“I’m not a prince,” Jun said.

“You’re the child of a prince, and a prince becomes a king. The way I see it, you’re a little prince. Am I wrong?” Yugi glanced at Atem, cocking an eyebrow.

“That’s true,” Atem agreed. “Jun’s just being difficult for no reason.”

“I’m not,” Jun protested. “I’m _not_ a prince. I’m a bastard, not royalty.”

“You humans really care about your lineage a lot,” Yugi rolled his eyes. “Your son’s so sullen, Atem. What do you feed him?”

“He eats fine,” Atem smiled. Yugi flicked his ears, but didn’t engage it further. Neither did Jun, who was glancing off to the side, clearly not interested. _The first human aside from me in who knows how long to make contact with a merperson and he doesn’t care, _Atem mused._ Incredible_. Maybe they could establish connections between their people yet.

“Well, I went ahead and had a friend make a little thing for your son,” Yugi said. Atem hadn’t realised when he had approached, but Yugi seemed to have a pouch slung over his back. He shifted it around to his front, pulling out a necklace of some kind from within.

“Here; it’s enchanted for good luck and protection. May it serve you well.” Yugi offered it up to them.

“Huh,” Jun reached out for the jewellery, examining it in his hands. “It’s pretty.”

“You never made me a necklace, I’m hurt,” Atem joked.

“I don’t know how to make them, my friend does,” Yugi pointed out. “Besides, you don’t seem to need a good luck charm from what I’ve seen.”

Atem flushed, laughing awkwardly to hide it. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want one, though.”

“Hmm. I’ll see what I can do, then.” Yugi nodded, pushing away from the rocks.

“Wait, you’re leaving already?”

“Yes, sadly. I have a feeling my grandfather will be retiring from the throne soon, and that means I’ll be claiming it,” Yugi flicked his ears back, sighing. “Being king leaves very little extra time to make the trek out here.”

Atem felt himself deflate, and before he could comment, Yugi held up a hand. “I know, it’s been a while and we just started, but I can’t afford to be late to another meeting.”

“I understand. I wouldn’t want to cause you trouble. Take care, Prince Yugi.”

“And you too, Prince Atem. If the skies are good, perhaps we can meet again soon.”

“Please. I’d like that,” Atem smiled. “If your magic ever tells you I’m down here again, please come visit.”

Yugi dipped underwater and swam away, and Atem sighed.

“How long have you known about merpeople?” Jun asked.

“Since I met him. I don’t remember when it was. Almost a year ago now, I think…”

“And no one else knows?”

“No, and I have to ask that you keep it that way please,” Atem furrowed his brows, glancing over at his adoptive son. “We don’t know how people would react to Yugi’s presence.”

“I understand,” Jun nodded. “I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thank you,” Atem smiled, and Jun returned the expression, much to his joy. “I’ll head back then, and you’re free to go on your ride. Have fun.”

“Actually, you can come if you want. I don’t mind.”

“I’d… like that.”


	12. Chapter 12

Solomon had summoned him again, which led Yugi to meet him in his chambers that day. He swam in through the entry way and floated down to the marble floor, beside the mess of seaweed that marked his grandfather’s sleeping place.

“You called, grandfather?” he probed gently.

“Ah yes,” his grandfather yawned, stretching slowly. “We have matters of the kingdom to discuss; things to be heard between only us.”

“I see,” Yugi nodded. “What would you like to talk about then?”

“I’m tired, and I don’t think I can manage the council’s constant attention anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

Solomon turned to him. “Yugi, I think it’s time.”

“Time for… what, exactly?” Yugi tilted his head, shrugging.

“For your ascension to the throne. To be king.”

“Wait… _King_?” Yugi gasped. “You’re serious?”

“Most serious, my boy.”

“You’re… sure?” Yugi asked.

“You’re practically the king already, Yugi,” Solomon smiled down at him. “With how much you’ve taken charge since I’ve stepped away, I don’t think much will change with your new title. You’re ready for this.”

“I don’t feel ready,” Yugi muttered. “I suppose I just felt like you’d be king forever, and I would just be...around.”

“It always feels like that when you’re young,” Solomon chuckled. He reached out to ruffle Yugi’s hair. “You’ll do fine, Yugi.”

“I… I hope I do, for the sake of everyone. I promise to do my best as king, your grace.”

“Not for much longer,” Solomon barked out a laugh. “But you’ll be your grace soon enough. I look forward to seeing as much of your reign as I can, my boy.”

“I’ll begin preparations immediately, then.” Yugi puffed up his chest, floating over to peck Solomon on the cheek. “I’ll make you proud, grandfather.”

“You already have, Yugi.”

* * *

The day had finally come, and Yugi felt more unprepared than ever. He had barely anything to do, and had rehearsed all the steps to the ceremony multiple times. Yet in the moments before the coronation began, he sat there nervously fidgeting, fins flickering against his body.

_I don’t even have to give a speech, and yet here I am more nervous than Anzu, who looks as calm as grandfather dealing with the council._

He nudged his head through the doorway, nervously looking to the base of the pedestal in front of him, which surged up towards the surface of the ocean. The crowd murmuring in tidal waves of unintelligible conversation was a keen reminder of what awaited him now.

“Did you ever think it would come to this?” Yugi asked, glancing up at the marble carvings dancing around the pedestal.

“Well, you _are_ a prince,” Anzu snorted. “One kind of assumes one’s princely friend will become king eventually.”

Yugi smirked. “I suppose. Still, it feels… strange. I knew this was coming, but now that it’s happening? I’m not sure. I had hoped this day would still be a while off.”

“You’ll do fine. You always know what to do, and besides, you’ve been the acting ruler for a while now. It’ll be like nothing changed.”

“Except now I’ll be ‘your grace’, not just ‘your majesty’,” Yugi grunted. _Hopefully not much will change from this. _He resisted the urge to circle nervously, although every fin down his sides fluttered with the urge to do so.

Anzu floated to the door, peeking her head through for a moment before withdrawing. She turned to Yugi, flashing him a smile. “You ready?” she asked.

“I think so,” Yugi sighed. _As ready as I can be,_ he thought quietly.

The music sounding from below began to grow louder, and the voices in the square started to die down.

At Anzu’s nod, Yugi began to ascend the ramps, slowly batting his tail to glide and twist through the water just above the time-honoured carvings. With so many eyes on him, he felt pressure to move properly, slowly.

The platform soared far above the plaza, enough that Yugi could probably shoot to the surface with one slap of his tail against the stone. Anzu was right behind him, and behind her was the mermaid carrying his crown.

Anzu began a long speech, telling all of the legends and achievements of those before. It was almost a bedtime story now, and the way Anzu spoke made every monarch’s reign sound more exciting than the last. The crowd below was cheering and laughing along, regardless of the fact they had all heard the stories thousands of times before. Yugi cracked a smile, watching Anzu gesture widely around the platform.

Eventually she reached Yugi’s grandfather’s stories, and Yugi felt the apprehension tingle up his spine. This was it.

“By the blessing and power of his majesty Solomon Mutou, I hereby crown the new king.” Anzu’s voice rang out over the plaza. “May the people of the world who stand before us today, and the ocean of all that surrounds us, bear witness to this exchange of authority.”

Yugi bowed, lowering his head. Luckily, his short stature meant he didn’t have to lower his entire body, so Anzu had more than enough room to dramatically settle the crown through his hair to sit snugly above his ear fins.

Yugi immediately twitched them, moving them around to assess the weight. It was tight, but not painfully so. He would constantly feel its presence, but he could ignore it.

He gave Anzu a nod, and she turned back to the crowd. “All hail our new king, Yugi Mutou!”

The crowd cheered, a chorus of applause ringing out. Yugi rose, holding his head high, soaking in the feeling. _So this is what it’s like,_ he thought, gaze drifting over the thousands of merpeople below. _I wonder if this is how grandfather felt, when he was crowned._

He turned to his side, where Anzu was staring at him. She gave him a huge grin, throwing in a wink. In return, he flashed a smile of his own.

“How long do I have to stand here for?” he whispered.

“Just give it a few more moments. Everyone will want to shuffle off for the feast soon enough.”

Yugi hummed in response, allowing himself to drift slightly around. He minutely adjusted his position to stay hovering over the platform, but he let his shoulders and fins rest, waiting.

The cheering slowly died down, morphing into soft murmurs and conversations. People began to form groups, heading out of the plaza. _That should be good enough,_ Yugi thought.

“All right let’s go,” Yugi turned around, shuffling off the platform.

“Don’t forget to take the path down,” Anzu reminded him. Yugi sighed, rolling his eyes.

“I still don’t understand why we insist on pretending we can walk sometimes. Why can’t I just shoot straight down? This hurts my fins to constantly twist around.”

Anzu swam down beside him, offering him a sympathetic glance. “Sorry, but I don’t have an answer for that. I guess it’s left over from when the old grounds were built, back when humans influenced us.”

_Ah, right._ Yugi remembered now. It was why parts of the palace had stairs built into pathways, despite merpeople never needing to use them.

“It was still a dumb idea,” Yugi muttered. “But I guess I can appreciate the architecture and goodwill of our ancestors.”

“Mmm-hmm,” Anzu nodded, pretending to look sagely. “Now, can we go eat? I am _starving_.”

“You said it before I could,” Yugi laughed. “Let’s go.”

* * *

On his first full day as reigning monarch, Yugi decided to ditch the city. He snuck out in the early morning currents, swimming far out away from civilisation.

The calm depths of the ocean, uninterrupted by anything, soothed his mind. It was turmoil in there, every thought swishing around like a current toying with a weak fish. Now that he was king, what was expected of him? Solomon had tried his best to give Yugi a good idea of his responsibilities on the throne, and Yugi was forever grateful for his grandfather’s intuition, but he couldn’t deny the insecurities that would plague him late at night. _I hope I can do him proud._

He found himself being drawn to the human fishing grounds. _Is there anything out this way?_ He wondered. The ocean, as always, gave him no definite answer. Instead, it simply guided him further along.

_Fine,_ he grumbled. _Keep your secrets._

There were no boats currently skimming above the water, but the area still instilled a deep sense of unease within him. _I don’t want to be out here, it’s too dangerous, _Yugi glanced around, anxiously slowing down. _What could the sea have in store for me here?_

He found his answer before the water could swirl in response.

In the distance, light reflected just at the edge of his vision. Turning towards it, his eyes lit up.

There was the unmistakable shimmer of a merperson’s tail, a dazzling shine of umber. It rippled and glimmered in stark contrast to the blues of the sea surrounding them.

As Yugi drew closer, he noticed they looked young. A boy of small age; a teenager, perhaps. They were gazing up at the surface, completely oblivious to Yugi’s approach.

“Hey kid, what are you doing out here?”

They boy turned around, eyes widening hugely in surprise. “Y-Your majesty!” he squeaked. “I-I was just… looking around…”

“These are the human fishing grounds. We don’t come here, you should have been told that.”

“I… I know. I just wanted to watch. I was curious.”

Yugi sucked in his breath, his heartbeat rising quickly. “They didn’t see you, did they?” The boy shook his head, and Yugi stilled. _This is a dangerous scenario. If this kid was letting his curiosity get the better of him, how long until the humans discover us?_ He would have to reinforce the laws regarding humans, and make sure they weren’t spotted. He couldn’t risk upsetting Atem’s father and igniting a war just after he ascended to the throne. _I’d be the worst king in our history, and perhaps the last._

The boy began to mumble out an apology as Yugi didn’t respond. “I’m sorry, I know it’s illegal. I promise I wasn’t trying to make contact or anything.”

“What’s your name kid?” he asked the boy.

They blinked in surprise, glancing at Yugi. “Uh. I’m Judai, your majesty.”

There was something sparkling deep in those brown eyes that had Yugi curious. There was a power there, something more. Perhaps even Judai himself didn’t realise. Magic danced around him in time with the water, and Yugi heard the ocean whisper exciting things to him. _This is the one,_ Yugi knew immediately.

“How would you like to come back to the palace with me, Judai?”

“Am I… in trouble?” Judai frowned, fidgeting with his fingers. His fins vibrated nervously along his arms and tail, while his ears lay flat against his skull.

“No no. Don’t worry, nothing bad. I just want you to accompany me for now.”

“I can’t really deny a request from the king…” Judai said.

“Indeed. Come along then, let’s go now,” Yugi tilted his head in the direction of the city. Judai hesitated, glancing out into the water and then back to Yugi, but Yugi wasn’t moving. He waited until Judai understood, shuffling forward into a decent swimming speed. Only then did Yugi follow, coming up beside Judai to make sure he would accompany him, and wouldn’t dash off in a hurry out of fear.

“What do you need me for, your grace?” Judai asked. He seemingly was working up more confidence the longer they swam along.

“I’m taking you with me to my meeting with the council,” Yugi answered.

“That sounds an awful lot like I’m in trouble,” Judai muttered.

“No faith in your pri- er, king?” Yugi snorted. “I’m hurt. Are you saying this face isn’t one to trust?”

Judai gave a shy smile. “Sorry, your grace. I was just worried. _Am_ worried.”

“Understandable, but I promise you, there’s nothing to be concerned over. I just want you to be present with me when I announce something to the council.”

“Um… okay.” Judai nodded. He trailed behind Yugi as Yugi powered through the water.

They made good time, perhaps even too well, as the ocean seemed to push Yugi quickly towards the palace. Perhaps it sensed something Yugi didn’t, or agreed with his decision and was eager to assist. Either way, they reached the castle and meeting room before the rest of the council.

Yugi floated to the throne, sitting down in preparation for what would no doubt be a long battle with the council ahead. Judai hovered close by, but far enough away from the table he wouldn’t get in the way of anyone else when they arrived.

And then they waited. From what Yugi knew, the three members of his council hardly ever left the palace, never mind the city. They would arrive soon, hopefully. _And now that I’m king, we can start to rearrange this dreadful scene,_ he thought eyeing the architecture around the room.

Judai appeared to be growing restless, glancing around and fiddling with his hands. He kept opening his mouth as if to speak, but no words came forth. The relief on his face was more than a little noticeable when the council members finally swam into the room.

They settled down, turning to Yugi expectantly.

“What have you called this meeting for, your grace?” Elise asked first. Yugi let his gaze trail over everyone at the table. They were watching him back, but Yugi didn’t miss the confused looks sent Judai’s way. They clearly had no idea who he was, and Yugi couldn’t wait to reveal his plan. 

“Council,” he practically purred. “I am pleased to tell you all I have an important announcement.”

“Who is this?” Furi asked, gesturing to Judai.

“He’s the announcement,” Yugi smirked. “I’m choosing Judai as my successor.”

“Him?” Elise frowned, swimming forward to examine Judai. “Are you sure, your majesty?

“He has a good spirit,” Yugi smiled. Judai was not quite as tall as him, but he could tell the boy was young, and would grow up into a fine man.

“The ocean sings for him, can you not hear it?” At the round of confused looks he received, Yugi rolled his eyes. “This is my decision, and it is final. The rest of you are dismissed; Judai, follow me, please.”

He didn’t wait for any more complaints. Yugi pushed out of the room, taking off into the corridors. He was pleased to hear the swish of Judai behind him, or at least who he hoped was Judai; he didn’t glance back to check if anyone else had chased after.

They reached a junction in the corridors that had begun to slant downwards. His quarters would be further down the path, nestled at the base of the palace in a cavern of marble.

Judai shuffled around into his view, practically vibrating in obvious excitement. “Did you mean it?” he asked, eyes wide. “I’m… going to be a prince?”

Yugi nodded. “And then king, after me, of course.”

The smile he received was contagious, and Yugi felt one break out over his face too, warming his heart.

“Yes! That’s so cool, wow!” Judai charged upwards, flipping around in a huge loop. Yugi chuckled._ He really does have a good spirit. He’ll make a fine king._

But for now, Yugi had to build his own reign from what his grandfather had passed to him. There were matters he had to attend to, besides training his new heir. _First day as king and I’ve already gotten the council’s main complaint off my back. I’d say I’m doing well._

“Come on Judai, let’s get you set up here in the palace…”


	13. Chapter 13

The breeze tussled and flew through the air around them, flying high into the tall ceiling of the meeting room. There were several statues and relics dotted around for display. Most of them were too heavy to be moved by the draught, and the portraits didn’t rattle enough to worry Atem

Living so close to the ocean always let the salty tang of the water rise up on the gusts of wind. Although he loathed constantly breathing it in right at the edge of the shoreline, up in the towering heights of the palace, it was less intense and felt softer, somehow. It helped him relax, especially when he was forced to sit in such a massive room with only two other people.

Despite how his father insisted it made the room too chilly, Atem had kept some of the windows open to keep a breeze rustling through.

As he looked around, his eyes caught on Seto’s, and he paused. Seto quirked an eyebrow at him, to which Atem offered a small smile. It seemed enough, as Seto redirected his attention back to Aknamkanon at the head. _Just as quickly as all of our conversations seem to go,_ Atem mused.

The table felt less empty with an extra seat taken, but the ridiculous size of the thing meant it still felt off. He glanced down to the barren side of the table, frowning in disapproval.

In the meantime, his father continued talking, reading off report sheets to pull them both up to date on all kingdom matters.

“…I’ve noticed we’ve been eating better recently too. Seto, what are the scores on your supply train?”

Seto nodded, pushing some sheets of paper closer to Aknamkanon. “Supplies have been rolling in from my territory. We have a lot of excess agricultural stock, since our land is so fertile. They should balance out some of your lost provisions.”

“Excellent. These are good numbers coming in. It’s a shame we can’t raise our supply of fish, but given the current state of our fishing economy, there’s not much to be done.”

“I’m afraid due to the location inland, there is nothing I can do to help with that,” Seto replied.

“You’ve done so much already, we can’t expect you to fix all of our problems. Actually, I believe a patrol should have just returned with news of the fishing boats,” Aknamkanon turned Atem’s way. “Son, would you go down and meet with them? I need a report, but I trust you to handle that.”

“Of course,” Atem nodded. He rose from the chair, giving his father a quick bow before scurrying out.

The returned party was milling around the front hall, chatting together and hauling in supplies. The scent of fish hit Atem’s nostrils straight away, so strong he had to pull a hand up to his nose.

_A delivery?_ Atem wondered. Several servants were carrying crates of what Atem assumed to be the source of the fish smell, transporting them away into the corridors. Probably towards the kitchen. Why did his father need a report from him, then? He wasn’t the head chef, food wasn’t one of his responsibilities, surprisingly.

One tall figure Atem recognised well was pointing at the others and distributing orders while towering over everyone.

“Is that… Mahad?” Atem mumbled. The man turned around, and Atem felt his face light up. _It is!_ “Mahad! Over here!”

Mahad turned around, waving at Atem. “Your majesty!”

“You’re back! Finally. Here I was thinking I’d never see your face again,” Atem cracked a smile. “Or at least, what I can see, from all the way down here.”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Mahad chortled. He stepped forward to embrace Atem, wrapping his long arms around Atem’s tiny body.

“How have you been?” he asked.

“Fine, fine. Good actually. Things have been going well,” Atem smiled. More than well, he wanted to say, but given their last few encounters and how… over the top Atem had been, he would figure Mahad would be suspicious if he’d just suddenly perked up too much.

“I can see that. I hear you have a son now, too,” Mahad’s eyes crinkled in delight. “You’re starting to look more and more like the king I know you will be. I’m glad your marriage is working out.”

“Still a while off from being king. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Atem joked. _Ah, right. My secret with Yugi is safe then, I suppose._ He figured Mahad would attribute his happiness to Jun’s arrival. “Have you met Jun? He’s a fantastic kid. A little sullen at times, but he’s had a hard time. I’m hoping he’ll open up the more he gets used to life here.”

“He has a good father to help him. I’m sure he will.”

Atem smiled softly_. I don’t think he sees me that way. I’m more of a mentor, I suppose. _He held off saying as much, not wanting to incite an argument. “Would you like to meet him?”

“Perhaps next time. We’ll have to speak when I return next, sadly.”

“Wait, you’re leaving again?” Atem frowned. “You just got home! It feels like you’re always gone these days too. What does my father have you _doing_?”

Mahad laughed. “A lot of correspondence between all the fishing towns down the coastline. But don’t worry, I’m not leaving just yet. Tomorrow morning I’m set to head out, so if you can get your son up then we can talk.”

“All right. But, hold on… What are you running correspondence for? What’s going on?”

Mahad shrugged, looking more than helpless. “I don’t know Atem; you’re the prince, I’d expect you to know more than me. I’m just gathering accounts for your father. You should ask him about it.”

_Perhaps father and I should talk more, then_, Atem thought. “I suppose I should. Nonetheless, you have a job to do and I won’t keep you. Take care, Mahad.”

“You too, Atem.”

* * *

“I’m surprised you actually did what the council asked, adopting an heir. I was expecting them to have to force you into a relationship.”

“I think they wanted someone more to their liking, but there’s something wonderful in adopting an orphan out of nowhere to rule the kingdom after me,” Yugi chuckled.

Anzu snorted, rolling her eyes. “It certainly has a Yugi flare to it, I’ll give you that. Something tells me there’ll never be a dull day with you on the throne.”

“I certainly hope so.” Yugi stretched out, nestling himself further into the clump of bedding.

They were lounging in Anzu’s quarters, around the thick bundles of material that they all slept on.

Yugi nestled his body down into the soft seaweed between the chunks of marble, which kept his body from floating off and let him remain stationary; a rare gift in the ocean’s constant waves. He usually didn’t mind sleeping wrapped around seaweed in a passing current; there was something comforting about being nestled away in a protective webbing.

“Ryou seemed to think you’re in some kind of secret relationship,” Anzu grinned. Judging from the wild glee in her eyes, she agreed and was about to grill Yugi about it.

“I’m really not,” Yugi mumbled.

“That’s not a direct answer.”

“I have friends I like to see and talk to, is that so wrong?” Yugi puffed his cheeks up, wobbling his ears at Anzu. It was a threat gesture, but with his childish expression, the menace was lost.

“There’s a difference between me and Ryou, and someone else who you sneak off to see,” Anzu looked smug, like she had a fish trapped and ready to devour. _Shit, trust Anzu to be that observant. I should have known, huh._

“Friends, Anzu. I promise I don’t have some kind of forbidden love going on,” Yugi rolled his eyes.

Anzu shuffled closer, giving him a pointed look.

“What?”

“Yuuugiii,” she whined, poking at his side. “Come on, hurry up and pick someone to marry so I can officiate your wedding!”

“You just did my coronation, isn’t that good enough?” Yugi chuckled.

“But weddings are more fun,” Anzu sighed wistfully.

“Not crowning the next king?” Yugi snorted in surprise. “So many would kill to be in your position.”

“Yeah, but I want to do the king’s _wedding_. Coronations are fun and all, but they’re just not as magical as bonding two people together,” she sighed again, a dopey smile over her face. “It’s so romantic.”

“Well I sadly have no interest in being married. Sorry, Anzu,” Yugi grinned.

“Augh. My friends suck,” Anzu rolled her eyes. “What about Ryou?”

“Do you even need to ask?” Yugi laughed. “Ryou’s more likely to marry a successful experiment than another merperson.”

“No you mean a sexy skull he found somewhere near the shark feeding grounds, he’d love to marry one of _those_.”

They started cackling, Yugi too busy trying to breathe to form a reply.

He hiccupped a few times, trying to slur speech past his mouth, but his lips and gills were still too busy shaking.

“Hmm. I think I should be in the main hall right now to supervise some servants,” Anzu hummed.

“Isn’t that rather important to have mentioned so casually?” Yugi snorted.

“I suppose, yeah,” Anzu shrugged. “But eh, I’ll get around to it.”

“Perhaps now, yes?”

Anzu rolled out of her nest, stretching her limbs. “Yeah yeah I’m going. What about you? You gunna stay up here?”

“I’m going to go lounge around on the currents. I’ll catch you later, yeah?”

“Sure thing Yugi, go meet with your secret lover,” Anzu hummed, a toothy grin spread over her face.

_I couldn’t see Atem even if I wanted to,_ Yugi thought. _He’s probably busy in his palace._ Which was a shame, but Yugi understood; now that he was king, he could feel the tasks on his shoulders piling up. He would need some help to get through it soon, but not from his grandfather’s old council. No, it was time for some new faces to join his team, and he had a good idea who they would be…

_Ah, right, Atem wanted a necklace._ Yugi remembered now. _It’ll be a while before I’ll get to sneak out again, but I can tell Ryou about it at least._

He changed his direction around, heading off towards Ryou’s cave on the outskirts of the city instead.

_I swear to god, if he teases me as much as Anzu, I’ll fire them both, _Yugi smacked the water around him with more vigour. He loved his friends dearly, but they strained him with his relationship, and he worked too hard to hide his surface journeys away that he couldn’t risk anything slipping out.

Friendship, he meant. His relationship of friendship with Atem. Because that’s what it was. _I do miss going topside more regularly..._ He hadn’t realised just how much he had been relying on Atem to escape to another life, but it had become something like that without him realising. _It’s getting harder to align our meetings these days, I can’t imagine what it will be like when Atem ascends his throne as well._ Or maybe it would be easier for him, not having a council breathing down his neck. Yugi wasn’t sure; he didn’t fully understand Atem’s kingdom.

Ryou’s cave appeared on the horizon, dipped down into a valley in the bedrock. Yugi descended towards the entrance, looping around to halt his pace, arms clutching the top rocks that marked the door.

“Ryou! I’m coming in!” Yugi yelled, shuffling inside.

Ryou was there in the front room, fiddling away. He glanced over his shoulder, redirecting his attention to Yugi as he swam forward.

“Ah, your majesty. Or is it your grace now?” Ryou smiled. “Regardless, I’m sure you’re here for some delightful reason. What can I do for you?”

Yugi held a hand daintily to his face, giving a fake shocked gasp. “Ryou I’m hurt, can’t I just come visit my friend?”

“Not when I live all the way out here,” Ryou rolled his eyes. “You’re always here for _something_.”

“And if that something is you?” Yugi grinned.

“Oh please, I don’t have time for your dramatic flirting.” Ryou scoffed. As if to prove his point, he busied himself with whatever today’s no-doubt-diabolical experiment was, turning his back to Yugi.

“You say that, but I don’t see you trying to chase me out.” Yugi swam over, floating down over the top of Ryou’s head. “Also I need a favour.”

“Of course you do.”

“Will you do it?”

“I’ll think about it.”

“What if I sweetened the deal?” Yugi proposed. “I’m in the market to shuffle around my council, add some fresh new faces. I think you’d be a welcome addition to the direction I plan to take it in.”

Ryou stared at him, a quip of a smile on his lips. “You’ve been busy, I see.”

“Doing my best, yes,” Yugi cackled. “So? Is that a yes?”

“I suppose if my king asks,” Ryou sighed. “Give me a few people to help move my belongings and a new room away from the surface, and I’ll join your council.”

“Excellent,” Yugi grinned. “Now, onto business.”

“I thought that’s what we were doing right now.”

“But for the favour I need. I need another necklace, and you’re the only one I know who does what I need.”

“Hmm… I can make something smaller instead. Actually, humans don’t have webbing between their fingers, do they?” Ryou scratched his chin.

Yugi glanced down to his own fingers, wriggling them and the skin between them around. Atem definitely didn’t have any extra appendages, nor skin anywhere that Yugi had seen.

“No I don’t think so.” He said, ignoring Ryou’s perceptiveness.

“I’d like to try and make a ring. I’ve seen them in the archives before, and I’ve never considered it before, so this could be an interesting opportunity for that.”

_But I can’t get Atem’s fingers to check if they’ll fit,_ Yugi thought. _And besides, I think rings have some kind of greater importance to humans. They can’t all mean marriage, though; Atem wears several. Unless they marry multiple times, but Atem seemed displeased just marrying once. I can’t imagine him wanting to do it with a lot of people._

“All right, make it about the size of my fingers. That should work.”

Ryou gave him a look, but nodded. “You know if you just wanted to wear one, you could just say so. I don’t know why you feel the need to hide it.”

“It’s not for me, I promise,” Yugi snorted. “Maybe one day I’ll tell you who it is.”

“All right, I trust you. Any details you have in mind?”

“Yes in fact I do. I have a specific colour in mind for the gem…”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note that the ONE (1) smut scene in the tags I warned of is in this chapter! If you're not interested in smut, skip from the first bolded line of text to the next for the ending scene. It's not super long, should be easy to skip. With that out of the way, please enjoy! <3

For once, Yugi’s trip to the council meeting room was something he enjoyed. There was much to discuss today, and he was looking forward to been able to distribute his latest orders.

The three members of Solomon’s council were seated in their usual places, but now, upon Yugi’s request, Anzu and Ryou had also joined the table. Everyone sat patiently waiting for Yugi’s arrival, and all eyes turned to watch Yugi’s approach.

“Council,” he said in greeting, floating down to the throne at the end.

“What is he doing here?” Amandus asked, glancing wearily over at Ryou on the opposite side of the table.

“And the master of the servants, for that matter,” Furi joined in. “Anzu, what brings you here? This meeting is for council members only.”

“By our king’s command, I do sit here at this table,” Anzu drawled in the emptiest tone possible. Ryou smiled beside her, a hand moving up to hide the obvious grin forming.

It took all of Yugi’s self-control to not snort at Anzu’s words as well. _Way to be dramatic,_ he silently mused.

“Indeed, both Ryou and Anzu are here on my wishes,” Yugi began. “You see, dear council, there’s going to be some rearranging happening over the next few weeks. Expect to be reassigned, if the need shall arise. I have big plans for the future of our kingdom.”

“What, the whole council? What do you mean? You need a council,” Furi protested.

“I do. But, the lands beyond also need decent council members to be able to manage their people. I’m sending you off to manage another community in a different town.”

“But… I’ve always worked here,” Furi said.

“And your contributions have been greatly appreciated,” Yugi said smoothly. “But now you’re needed elsewhere, and I can’t think of anyone better suited to the responsibilities than you, council member Furi.”

“Fine,” Furi huffed. “I suppose you’ll be getting my reports soon enough, your majesty.”

“I hope so,” Yugi replied evenly. Furi left in a hurry, looking more than glum. It was a necessary course of action, and one Yugi was sure would be more beneficial in the long run. Despite their differences, Furi was excellent at managing stock, and Yugi _had_ sent her off to an area that was struggling 

It wasn’t an unprompted move, and he hoped she would see that in the future. _We have to set up a new structure, to go with my style of rule, _Yugi thought._ There’s still some work to do, but with Anzu and Ryou by my side now, I’m sure we can do anything._

“Uh… so…” Elise coughed in an obvious way. “Moving on to our reports…?”

“Of course,” Yugi replied, voice smooth as silk. “Go right ahead, Elise.”

It was not an understatement for Yugi to admit he was feeling _very_ smug right now.

* * *

It seemed increasingly harder for him to sneak off with his horse on quiet walks. Work had been picking up, and his father had him sit permanently beside him and Seto on kingdom matters. Atem had been thinking Aknamkanon planned to have him and Seto rule the kingdom together, and each meeting he had only served to prove it.

_I can appreciate having some of the load taken off my shoulders,_ Atem thought._ Seto is an excellent record keeper, and he seems to always know what’s going on everywhere. He doesn’t enjoy public appearances so much, though, so I can see why he would need someone like me as well. _It wasn’t an overstatement for Atem to admit he had the face for it, but it mainly came from his royal blood, and the fact that the kingdom was comfortably familiar with Atem and his family line.

On the rare occasion, however, when their meetings concluded and Seto was drawn away to other matters, Atem could slip away. When that happened, it was almost as if the clouds themselves would rejoice with him. The skies were clear, and his mare trotted happily along, occasionally stopping to nibble and sniff at patches of grass. Atem let her go off on her own, doing her own thing. He was just along for the ride.

_I wish Jun had come out,_ he sighed quietly to himself. His adopted son had been busy with work recently, and although Atem had offered to take him out, Seto had advised against it. Jun had much catching up to do, he had said. Atem didn’t fully understand why he wouldn’t let his son rest and have fun every now and then, but then, it might have been a way of life he didn’t understand.

If there was one thing he had learnt from Yugi, it had been challenging his perception of everything. Others did things differently to him, and he just had to accept that. _I’ll talk to Seto about it, and see if there’s anything I can help with. If not, then at least he’ll appreciate the gesture. At least in that weird stoic way he does._

He could tell his horse wanted to return, nudging him back in the direction of the palace. “Soon, girl, just give me a bit longer,” he told her.

She continued to whine as he kept their pace slow, but his attention was drawn out to the ocean. He felt a slight tingle down his spine, apprehension at something. _A storm?_ Atem wondered, glancing out towards the sea. The skies seemed calm enough, but Atem couldn’t shake off the feeling of... something. _Something_ was going to happen, but whether it would be good or bad, he couldn’t tell.

It was just a feeling.

As they passed by the beaches and rocks down below, Atem took a peek down towards the shoreline.

He felt his heart speed up when he noticed the shimmer of purple scales down below, reflecting the shine of water.

“Woah woah, hold up girl,” he tugged back on the reins, grinding their walk to a stop.

“Stay here,” he instructed, slipping off her back. She whined in protest, tossing her great head around, but otherwise obeyed.

Atem raced down the cliff side, hopping down the dirt path and skipping over the rocks. He skidded to a stop above the tide pool, and Yugi pushed his head up from the water, grinning wildly.

“Atem!” Yugi beamed up at him. “Glad that was you and not someone else, heh.”

Atem crouched down next to him, bringing them level together. “Yugi, it’s so good to see you again,” he said. He took one of Yugi’s hands into his, squeezing it softly.

“Likewise,” Yugi murmured. He brought their hands up to his lips, giving Atem a quick peck over the knuckles.

Their hands dropped soon after, and Atem could feel the tingle over his cheeks. Suddenly they were on fire, and he hid it with a well-placed hand, scratching over his cheeks.

“Ah, so… how have things been for you, your majesty?”

“Just completely rearranging the structure of my council, and by extension, my kingdom,” Yugi shrugged. "Not much.”

“Of course,” Atem chuckled. He then paused. “Wait… _your_ kingdom? Have you…?”

Yugi nodded, flashing his signature toothy grin, teeth as sharp as ever. “Ah, you haven’t heard? Just the other week we had my coronation. You’re now speaking to the current king of the merpeople, young prince.”

“Wow,” Atem whistled, impressed. “You sure know how to get straight to business then.” _I can’t believe he’s king already… Yugi is so strong. He always seems to know exactly what is best to do. _

“You got it,” Yugi gave him a wink. His eyes lit up, and he exclaimed suddenly.

“Ah! Of course, this!” he pulled a sack of seaweed out from his side, handing it over. “This is for you.”

“Me?” Atem blinked, glancing down to the bag. He took it gently, feeling the weight of something nestled in the middle.

“What is it?” he asked, unfolding the strands of gooey weed.

Yugi didn’t answer, instead just watching him. From within the package there was a small ring shining from the water glistening over the silver. 

In the middle sat a bright, glistening gemstone. It shone with the same radiance as Yugi’s eyes, purple swirling in the depths.

“I…” Atem stared down at it, almost forgetting to blink in his surprise. It was… Yugi was giving him a ring…? Was there symbolism behind this, or…?

“You wanted something from my people,” Yugi said, in way of explanation. “I hope this will be satisfactory.”

Even gifting him something, Yugi still spoke in a strange, formal way. Atem smiled; he really loved that about Yugi. And he loved the ring.

He slipped it over one of his fingers; the opposite hand to where his wedding ring was. “It’s beautiful,” he said. And it fit snugly around his finger, not enough to put pressure, but not loose enough to slip off. “Thank you.”

“Certainly. I’d be a poor friend if I didn’t bring gifts to commemorate our meetings. Ah, not that I expect you to bring anything. Human items aren’t made for long exposure to the ocean I’m sure. Just your company is enough for me.”

“Perhaps I could find you something one day.”

“I’d treasure anything you’d give me,” Yugi smiled. “But don’t feel obligated to. Your friendship is enough.”

Atem frowned. Friends… There was something about being called that that… felt off to Atem, for some reason. “Is that what we are... friends?” he whispered.

“Of course we are,” Yugi snorted, giving Atem a confused draw of his brows. “What do you mean?”

“I mean… well…” How can he say it? How does anyone say it? “Never mind,” he shook his head, turning away.

“You have something on your mind. Say it,” Yugi said. The conviction in his tone made it clear he wouldn’t take a dismissive no for an answer again.

“I… don’t know how to say it.”

“Show it, then.”

“I…” Atem bit his lip, eyes flickering down to Yugi’s. _Can I…?_ Yugi wasn’t denying it. In fact, from the way his body was positioned towards Atem, he seemed to almost know what Atem meant.

He leaned closer, drawing in. Yugi made no move to stop him, gaze burning straight into his. Atem dipped down, tilting his head ever so slightly, until their lips brushed against each other.

It was little more than a passing touch, soft, and yet, more fulfilling than anything Atem could have imagined.

Yugi didn’t resist, but he did pull away, gills and mouth fluttering.

“We shouldn’t,” Yugi closed his eyes, huffing slightly.

Atem bowed his head. Yugi was right, they shouldn’t be doing this. He made to move away, taking his hands off Yugi’s, when suddenly Yugi snatched them back, jerking him forward.

“What…?”

“Just because we shouldn’t,” Yugi said slowly. “Doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

Atem opened his mouth to reply, but Yugi never gave him the chance. He closed the distance between them, sealing his lips over Atem’s.

They were wet and soft, pressed flush against Atem’s and smelling overwhelmingly of salt. It was… wonderful. Atem fell straight into it, moving alongside Yugi’s tugs and gasps.

_Is this what I’ve been missing?_ He wondered, sliding his eyes shut. _All this time? How long ago could we have done this? Did we have to wait, or could we only admit our feelings now?_

They broke apart, Yugi’s hand reaching to his lips, pressing them together. He hummed, looking thoughtful, while Atem concentrated on finding the gears in his brain that would let him breathe again.

“Come down here,” Yugi said, lowering his body further into the water. It left room for Atem to slide down into the pool with him, but Atem hesitated.

Yugi was moving so suddenly, Atem barely had time to reason his actions. He fumbled, confused on what they should do next. Was this too fast? Should they slow down? But then he shared a look with Yugi, and in that moment, everything felt right. He nodded.

“It’ll be uncomfortable,” Atem warned, shuffling around on the rocks. Despite his faltering, he couldn’t deny the exciting tingle up his spine. “I don’t think we should…”

**“Do you want to?” Yugi asked. Atem answered without missing a beat of his heart.**

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll make it work,” Yugi murmured. He tugged on Atem’s arms, encouraging him forward. Atem frowned tilting his head in silent question.

He obliged, crawling down towards the water. He let his hands dip down to the rock shelf underneath the surface. Any more and he would be getting his clothes wet. _I don’t want to strip in the water, but I suppose if we have to…_

“How are we going to do this?” he asked.

“I uh… I’m not really sure,” Yugi laughed. “I haven’t really done this before. What about you?”

“No…” Atem smiled nervously.

“Okay… Um, let’s start with more contact. Try straddling my waist…” Yugi tried to keep his voice even, but it came out more like he was asking a question than giving instruction. Atem hauled a leg up over Yugi’s tail, positioning himself to sit down on the scales.

His hands glided over the smooth surface, and he marvelled at how flat it felt. None of the scales spiked up against his touch. He could barely find the edges of them, they seemed so seamless and perfect.

In the bright sunlight, Yugi looked more breathtaking than ever, a shimmering mass of sparkling glory.

Experimentally, Atem rocked his hips against it softly, gasping in surprise. It felt like it touched all the right places, skin and scales slotting together perfectly.

“Slow down a bit Atem; go too fast and it’ll hurt,” Yugi cautioned.

“I’ve never felt scales like this before,” Atem breathed, rubbing his hands over the patterns. They moulded around his hands, but the more he put pressure on them, the more they fought back. He could feel the muscles clenching around his touch, sending visible ripples through Yugi’s whole tail.

Yugi rolled his hips slightly, grinding the slick waterlogged coating over Atem’s pants. They were already soaked, and neither of them sought to care.

“Mmmm,” Atem moaned. He could feel himself slipping into a mindless rhythm. The bouncing and rocking was soothing, and sparked a fire deep within himself.

“Are you okay?”

Atem nodded, uncaring at how dopey his expression probably was at that moment. Yugi didn’t seem to care either, taking one of Atem’s hands into his and popping a finger into his mouth.

He sucked gently, tongue lapping over the pads underneath. _Ahhh,_ Atem closed his eyes, breath coming out in haggard huffs.

Yugi slowly worked his way through all of the fingers, giving them all the same level of attention and dedication.

Atem moaned on each suck and lick, continuing to hump over Yugi’s tail mechanically the whole time.

Yugi bucked his tail upwards, only serving to increase the pleasure rippling through Atem’s nerves. It was growing, from the low thrum he had felt when he had first straddled Yugi’s waist, to a now constant pulse, drawing closer to something spilling over inside.

“S-Shit…. Yugi…”

“Ah… yes.”

“Please- keep going,” Atem begged. “Don’t stop-”

“Never-”

“I-I’m-”

“Mmm-”

“Ah!”

He felt his release spill out, soaking into his pants. He didn’t care, continuing to rock against Yugi, grinding out the last drops until he felt satisfied.

Yugi’s hands dug into his hips, keeping Atem as close as he could be. Atem held his hands over Yugi’s, taking a moment to let himself recover.

“That was… magical,” he gasped. Yugi nudged his nose into Atem’s chest, murmuring softly to himself.

**“Do you need me to move? Your gills look dry,” Atem asked. He patted wet fingers over them, letting the water drip down through the slits.**

“Mmm,” Yugi mumbled in response. Atem rose up on his knees, hiking one over Yugi’s body to kneel down in the rocks next to him.

Yugi lowered himself down, submerging his gills into the water. He sighed, looking very pleased.

“I need to go,” Yugi said. “I wasn’t supposed to come out today, and I’m afraid people are already wondering where I am.”

“I understand. But… please… if you can, don’t wait so long until next time,” Atem begged. Yugi’s gaze softened, and Atem bowed his head in silent understanding.

“…I’ll try.” Yugi ducked under the surface, spinning his body around in the water before swimming off out of sight.

The air itself seemed to change, as if sensing the new page turning in a book.

Atem worked his hands around his pants to clear them out of the come. It wouldn’t help his cause if he walked back into the palace with a white substance dribbling down his legs.

It took a while for the water to run clearer than diluted, but eventually he managed to clean himself off. For extra measure, he dipped his head under the water, soaking his hair and splashing some more over his shirt, making sure he was fully wet. It was uncomfortable, but necessary to make his cover more believable.

He raced home, sensing his horse’s discomfort at how sopping wet he was. “Sorry girl,” he whispered to her. “I’ll get one of the servants to give you a nice warm bath while I’m off having mine. We both deserve one.”

She snorted, too concentrated on her galloping to notice his murmurings. He patted her side, tugging gently back on the reigns as the palace loomed closer.

The mare knew exactly where to go, even without Atem’s prompting. She trotted through the stable doors, down to her stall near the far wall.

Unfortunately, Seto seemed to have noticed his absence. As Atem entered through the stable entrance to the palace, Seto was there waiting for him, arms crossed and expression still. When he took in Atem’s appearance, and the water dripping off his clothes, it changed into something more of concern.

“You’re soaking wet, what the fuck happened?” he asked, a hiss to his tone.

“I was… exploring, down by the rocks,” Atem coughed, flicking water droplets everywhere.

“Why?”

“I like to take walks by the beach, and decided to go over the rockier terrain this time. My mistake, I suppose. They were very slippery,” Atem chuckled.

Seto looked less than convinced, but he seemed to relent on the explanation. “I thought you were sneaking off to do something. Next time just tell me when you want to go out diving. Come on, I’ll get the servants to run a hot bath. We need to get you out of those wet clothes.”

Seto pressed a hand to Atem’s back, nudging him forward.

“Okay, thanks,” Atem mumbled, letting himself be led along.


	15. Chapter 15

The meeting room was beginning to become a second home to him and Seto. Atem felt like they spent more time in there than in their quarters, Seto especially. His husband seemed to always be slouched over documentation of some kind, eyes glued to some report or another.

Every now and then, Seto would reach over to nibble on a biscuit, slowly clearing out his plate. Atem leaned back in his chair, sighing down at the mess over their table.

“Do you eat much fish?” he asked casually.

“You eat dinner with me most nights,” Seto replied, sounding amused. “Surely you already have an answer to that.”

“I’m making small talk; I’m just curious.”

“About fish preference.”

“Everyone has things they enjoy more,” Atem shrugged. “Maybe it says more about you when you like fish cooked a certain way. Or a certain type.”

“Really?” Seto looked unimpressed. “I don’t think it matters that much. Besides, we have more than enough to keep us busy for now, I’d say.”

“You gotta enjoy the small things, Seto,” Atem chuckled. “Too much work without taking a break every now and then makes for a dull life.”

“Hmm,” Seto sniffed. “Back to the matter at hand, while my supplies have been keeping us afloat for now, there’s only so much my province can send out before their stocks grow low.”

“Ah, of course,” Atem clicked his tongue, tapping a finger on the table. “We can’t risk your lands growing poor from over farming.”

“Exactly.”

“Hmm. What do you propose, then?”

Seto pushed the pages on the table around. He slid one over towards Atem. “We need to find better fishing conditions. It might be time to extend our range.”

“I suppose we could…” Atem was hesitant to agree. He wasn’t sure exactly what counted as Yugi’s people’s territory, but he knew if they kept going further out, they were sure to cross merpeople terrain sooner or later.

_I don’t want to intrude on Yugi’s land, or rather… sea. We already take so much, how can I be sure he will be okay with it? What if he’s starving himself and his people so we can fish a little more? _

“We should, otherwise, we’ll be in trouble very soon,” Seto urged.

“…All right,” Atem nodded, relenting. _I’ll have to discuss it with Yugi next we meet. I can’t do this without letting him know._

Seto sighed, and suddenly, he seemed more tired than Atem had ever seen him. “Atem. You know… you don’t have to keep lying to me. I know you’re sneaking out to see someone. It’s all right.”

Atem blinked, freezing on the spot. “It… is?”

Seto shrugged. “We didn’t marry for romance or lust, we married to unite my lands with your kingdom’s. The way I see it, I don’t expect to win over your affection and I don’t plan to try. I’m content with us been amicable to each other.”

“We can be more than that,” Atem replied. “I consider you a friend, and you’re part of the family now. Your expertise had been an endless source of support through these hard times.”

“Glad to be of assistance. Also, I’m…” Seto paused, licking his lips. “I’m proud. Of Jun. He works hard, and I know he’ll make a fantastic king after us. But I understand, I can be a little hard on him. I appreciate the way you offer him your support.”

_It’s almost as if he read my mind,_ Atem thought. _Or sense my emotions… _

“That means a lot to hear, Seto,” Atem smiled. “Thank you.”

“Yes, good to know,” Seto nodded, his cheeks reddening in obvious emotion. “Shall we continue this report discussion, then?”

“Please do. Go ahead, Seto.”

* * *

“Atem? Hello?” Yugi’s voice drifted to him. Atem yawned, stretching out before rolling over to his stomach. He cushioned his head above folded arms, turning sleepy eyes towards Yugi.

“What did you say sorry?”

“Are you ignoring me?” Yugi snorted.

“How can I ignore such a wonderful ray of sunlight in front of me?” Atem smiled. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m a little tired from such long meetings with my husband.”

“Oh sure, sure,” Yugi grinned. “Ah that reminds me though. One of my friends on the council has been giving me some disturbing reports, concerning your fishing grounds.”

“You know about them?” Atem blinked. “Uh… are we fishing on something sacred to your people? Are… are fish important to you?”

Yugi gave him a pointed look, before caving and bursting out laughing. “What, do you think seriously believe we worship fish or something?” he gave an ugly snort, fins fluttering in an obviously mocking way.

“How am I supposed to know?” Atem puffed his cheeks out, giving Yugi a light joking push. “You never talk about anything involving fish!”

“It’s… aha… G-give me a second,” Yugi hiccupped, catching his breath. “It’s because we eat fish just as much as you do, you fool. What else is there to eat?”

“I don’t know. You were eating seaweed once. You could all just be vegetarians, how should I know,” Atem grunted.

“Ah, a fair assumption I suppose,” Yugi sniffed, wiping a wet hand over his nose, only dampening it further. “No, we eat fish. Sometimes smaller creatures that live in the reefs further west, but those are sparingly hunted.”

“Any reason why?”

“Well the reefs can be dangerous when sharks patrol the area. Which is quite common; it’s their hunting grounds after all, so we try to stay away to give them their space.”

“Interesting,” Atem hummed. “I can’t recall a time I’ve run into sharks while out on a boat. But maybe they don’t come near the surface often?”

“Mmhm, I’d say so. Do you travel on boat often?” Yugi tilted his head, leaning closer on the rock.

“Not for a few years now. I barely find myself leaving the palace on the best of days, let alone weeks. Besides, we send others out to examine these problems. It would be nice, though, to take a calming ride one day.”

“You should. It could be fun to go on an adventure together,” Yugi chuckled. But then his face fell. “Ah. We both don’t have the time for that now, do we?”

Atem smiled sadly, shaking his head. “No I… suppose we don’t. A shame. I would love to go out exploring with you. It would make for a fantastic story.”

“Maybe once our children take over, yes? We can be old, pruned men pretending we’re twenty again.”

“I’d love that,” Atem whispered. “As long as you were there too.”

Yugi nodded, a shy smile replacing his usual grin. Atem relished in seeing it. “Mmm. Ah. So… Are your people growing hungry for some reason?”

“Fish have been harder to gather from the hunting grounds- er,” Atem chuckled. “Fishing grounds I mean. You’re tossing up my words here.”

“I try my best,” Yugi looked smug. “But, on a serious note, do you require my assistance? I am king of my people. Say the word, and I’ll try all I can to help you.”

“We aren’t impeding on your people’s food source?” Atem asked.

“No. We have the whole ocean around us in every direction to fish in. Merpeople never come this far north. I’m the only one, for obvious reasons.”

“Ah. Well, that’s good to hear,” Atem sighed.

“So? Can I help?”

_What can you do?_ Atem almost asked, but stopped himself. It didn’t feel right to dismiss Yugi like that. But then, what _could_ he do? Would his people be okay with revealing themselves to humans? Or would Yugi be more cunning than that, and find a more subtle way to help.

Could they even bridge that gap? Would Yugi _want_ to? It was too risky; Atem would mention it next time.

Whenever that was.

“I’ll keep that in mind, but for now, Seto’s province has been helping us, and I think we’re doing okay,” Atem smiled at him. “Thank you for the offer though. I appreciate it, Yugi.”

“You’re welcome,” Yugi grinned.

Atem dropped his eyes, feeling his cheeks burn. Yugi’s beaming face was too much for him, and he felt like a child, giggling over a crush. His gaze shifted to Yugi’s scales, watching them with an entranced focus.

The scales shone with the radiance of a thousand different suns, all catching on the surfaces and reflecting into the accompanying bright water below. 

Atem felt his throat tightening, hands subconsciously reaching out to touch them, as if to steal some of their light and brilliance.

Yugi repositioned his tail, the scales whisked away from Atem’s grip. He brought his head up, frowning at the other.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” Atem smiled. “Just… thinking.” He shuffled as close as he dared, folding his legs in front of him, hands resting in his lap.

Yugi watched him carefully, gaze even, revealing nothing of his thoughts. His fingers dipped into the water, swirling lazy patterns over the surface. Ripples swished around them.

“What about?”

“Just… being here. With you. Here, we’re both far away from our duties.” Atem said, staring down at his fingers twitching to distract himself from Yugi’s dazzling beauty. “Here, we are who we are, no clothes or masks to disguise our thoughts and feelings.”

“You speak as if you are water itself,” Yugi laughed. “So fine and beautiful to look at, and yet fickle and skittish when you try to hold it.”

“Funny, I was thinking the exact same about you.” Atem grinned, and Yugi blinked back at him in surprise.

“I live in the water, I cannot _be_ the water. It flows alongside me, guiding my movements, perhaps, but never ruling over me. We work together, aiding each other.”

“You treat it like a person,” Atem noted, his gaze flickered to the sparkling waves.

“I treat it like a lover,” Yugi responded. “Soft, loving caresses. Gentle movements. A symphony of beautiful voices raised together in equal adoration. The ocean loves me, and I love it back. It is how it should be.”

“You speak with such conviction I find it hard to not believe everything you say.”

“Siren charm,” Yugi said in way of explanation. “We always sound so very convincing when we have such pretty voices.”

“Should I be concerned for my life, then?” Atem’s eyes were on Yugi’s again.

“Afraid I may snatch you up and drown you?”

“Do I get a kiss if I let you?” Atem teased, leaning closer. Yugi’s gaze locked with his, one eyebrow raising elegantly on his brow.

“It’s sweet of you to ask, but please, haven’t we talked enough?” Yugi leaned in, a smirk beginning to dance over his lips.

_I’m going to kiss that look right off your face,_ Atem thought. He ducked down to smash their lips together. Instantly he felt like a weight was lifted, and he moaned into the kiss, bringing a hand up to Yugi’s cheek, stroking it gently.

Yugi hummed, swiping his tongue over Atem’s as they batted them against each other. Atem shuffled closer over the rocks, until his head was dipping down to reach Yugi’s barely above the water.

Yugi pulled back, his hands clutching at Atem’s. “Woah! Don’t fall in,” he said.

“Who says I don’t want to get wet?” Atem grinned. Yugi shot him a look, flashing his teeth in a grin of his own.

“Slow down, lover boy. If you were that desperate to jump me I’m sure you would have the moment you arrived. Besides, I think it’s time to head back now, sadly.”

“So soon?” Atem groaned. “But things were just getting fun…”

“We’ve been here for a good few hours, Atem,” Yugi chuckled. He traced a hand down Atem’s cheek. “Take care, my dear Atem.”

Atem let him go, touching a hand to where Yugi’s had been. “You too, Yugi.”

* * *

“What lesson are we doing today?” Judai asked. “We’re pretty far out of town, aren’t we?”

“Hmm. How good are you with directions?” Yugi asked as he floated along.

“Uh… I know the basics, I suppose. I prefer to navigate by landmarks though…”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Yugi nodded. “So then, where are we right now in the kingdom?”

Judai hummed, glancing around. They bobbed in the gentle lull of the waves, back and forth, without moving much.

“There’s not much here,” he admitted. “But… are we near the land? The sea bed is awfully close to the surface here.”

“Exactly right,” Yugi beamed, and Judai smiled widely at the praise. “We’re north of the palace very close to the land.”

“Isn’t this forbidden ground, though? There’s… uh, humans around here, isn’t there?”

“Even if there were, I doubt they could see us through the waves. Come on.” Yugi pushed forward, striking out through the waves.

He heard Judai rushing up behind him, the constant beat of their tail and fins slipping them through the currents.

Yugi led him around the coast line, quizzing him on potential landmarks and areas of interest. He knew the area well of course, having spent so many trips back and forth to meet with Atem. But most merpeople never ventured so far north.

“Hmm. This looks like a good area to stop for a moment,” Yugi paused. “Now, how about-”

“Yugi!” Judai whispered, as best he could with his strong tone.

“What is it?”” Yugi asked, cautiously glancing around. He sounded worried, and it had Yugi feeling on edge. _I can’t sense anything wrong in the currents…_

“There’s a…” Judai pointed above the water level. “A human up there.”

“Really?” Yugi flicked his tail, rising further up.

“Yugi!!”

“I’ll be fine,” Yugi waved him off. He carefully poked his head above the waves, peering up towards the shoreline.

He recognised the deep maroon locks of Atem’s hair, reflecting beautifully against the sun’s light.

_It’s Atem, good,_ Yugi sighed, ducking back under. _That could have been worse luck, if it had been his husband, or someone else. Or his husband with him. I don’t think he’d want to know what Atem has been doing without his knowledge… _

“How would you like to meet them?” Yugi asked Judai.

“Wait, the human?” Judai’s eyes bugged out of his head. “But… it’s forbidden. We’re supposed to avoid them. We shouldn’t even be here, so far north…”

“Observant, and nice to see you know your kingdom’s rules,” Yugi praised. Judai gave him a small smile, but he still looked apprehensive. Yugi couldn’t blame him. But if there was any human Yugi trusted to reveal his son to, it was Atem.

It… wasn’t like he really knew any other ones, though. But he trusted Atem with his life, and he knew Atem wouldn’t let him down. _And he’s shared his son with me, it’s only fair I show him the same courtesy. _

“Are you sure this is okay?” Judai glanced upwards. “We’re… not supposed to.”

“Well, last I checked, _I_ was the king,” Yugi tapped his chin. “So really… I _could_ rewrite the rules…”

“Isn’t that… uh… not good?” Judai mumbled.

“It’s fine, don’t worry,” Yugi chuckled. “I know this human. He’s safe.”

“You do?” Judai blinked wide eyes at him. “Uh… well, if he’s safe…”

Yugi could sense the curiosity brimming just under Judai’s apprehension, and he smiled softly at him. He was reminded of when he was Judai’s age; he wondered if his eyes had been that widely inquisitive as well?

“He is. Let’s go say hello.” Yugi slapped his tail, propelling himself forward.

Atem was seated on the rocks in their usual area, but instead of facing around the tide pool Yugi usually rose up into, he was positioned out to the sea. His eyes were glazed over, staring out to the waves.

Yugi surfaced along the edge of rocks closest to the shoreline, shaking out the water from his hair. Atem jumped, clearly spooked by his sudden appearance. But the moment he recognised Yugi his face lit up.

“Oh, Yugi! It’s wonderful to see you again,” Atem’s eyes crinkled in delight, and the smile he gave Yugi was as brilliant as the sun beating down on them. Yugi felt his fins quiver in response, and he smiled back.

“You stole my words before I could say them, you thief.”

“What can I say? I wanted to be the first to say it,” Atem chuckled. “Are you well? I hope the kingdom isn’t dragging your crowned head too far down.”

“All is well with us,” Yugi replied. “I have a wonderful support group in my new council, and things have been going well.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Atem murmured. Yugi tilted his head, giving Atem a proper look. He hadn’t noticed behind the shimmer of the waves from underwater, but there was a weary quality to the way Atem held himself. His shoulders seemed to sag a little more than usual, and his eyelids drooped slightly.

“Are you all right?” Yugi asked.

“I’m fine,” Atem smiled, looking anything but fine. “A little tired. I just… needed a moment away from it all.”

“Somehow, I don’t believe that’s the only reason,” Yugi snorted.

Atem gave a weary chuckle, one that sent Yugi’s heart skipping beats. “Well, maybe I was hoping a certain merman would be stalking around that could come comfort me.”

“Oh, of course, sure,” Yugi drawled. “Anything for my little prince.”

Judai coughed awkwardly, and both Yugi and Atem turned to him immediately. He blushed bright red, glancing sheepishly between them. “Uh… s-sorry. Continue on, don’t mind me.”

“Who’s this?” Atem asked.

“My son, Judai. I was giving him some lessons on the tides.”

“A king and a teacher, what can’t you do?” Atem chuckled. He dipped his head in Judai’s direction. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Prince Judai. My name is Atem. I am also a prince of my kingdom.”

“Wow, you know a prince?” Judai gasped at Yugi. “That’s so cool!”

Yugi grinned at Atem, noticing how his face seemed to grow brighter when their eyes met. “I think we are well past the point of just knowing each other, kiddo.”

“Y-Yeah,” Atem coughed, looking away quickly. “I guess we’ve known each other for a while now. B-But anyways, it’s nice to meet you Judai. How’s life in your watery kingdom?”

“It’s fine,” Judai waved. “I’m sure it’s boring compared to yours. So tell me!”

Atem looked confused. “Tell you what?”

“About your kingdom! Life _above_ the sea! What’s it like? How do you do anything when you’re always on ground level? How do you get back up that big cliff without swimming?”

“Uh…” Atem glanced helplessly between Judai and Yugi, but Yugi just shrugged. “Well…”

Atem settled into a long discussion about his life, and how humans did things above water. Yugi already knew most of it from their past discussions, but every now and then Atem would say something new that would catch Yugi’s interest.

Otherwise, he spent most of the time simply staring at Atem, watching the way his eyes lit up talking about what he enjoyed doing. His arms waved ecstatically in the air, and he tried to draw diagrams in the sand for Judai for reference. Judai was wide eyed the entire time, utterly entranced by the details of land life.

It warmed Yugi’s heart to see Atem so genuinely happy, and he was more thankful than ever that he had brought Judai out north.

A sudden noise interrupted their talk. It was a loud snorting sound, some beast above whining shrilly.

“What was that?” Yugi frowned.

“Ah, my horse. She’s getting restless. I suppose I have been here awhile.” Atem tapped his chin, glancing behind himself.

“Maybe you should head back,” Yugi said gently. “I should be finishing off Judai’s lesson before returning to the palace as well. I wasn’t expecting to detour today.”

“I’m sorry, I’m a bit notorious for throwing plans out of order,” Atem chuckled. He leaned forward, hands fidgeting in front of him awkwardly.

Yugi held back. He could tell Atem wanted to embrace him, and Yugi wanted nothing more than to jump into Atem’s warm arms. But they couldn’t; not with Judai watching. Yugi knew he had already unloaded more than enough new information onto the boy, and to add his and Atem’s relationship to it… might be too much for the young one.

“I’ll try my best to return within a week, so we can talk some more.” Yugi said with a nod.

“I will watch the shore every chance I get,” Atem promised. Yugi smiled before diving under the water, swimming away, deep down towards the sea bed. He hoped the cold flush of water would hide how warm his cheeks felt.

He waited on the sand until Judai floated to his side, looking down at him expectantly.

“I know I don’t have to say this to you Judai but… please don’t tell anyone what happened here today.”

“Of course, but… I mean, why hide it? I thought humans were forbidden from contacting us. Have we been lied to, or-”

“No, that is a rule and it has been upheld by everyone else. I just… I guess I decided to break that rule this generation.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means that one day, in Atem’s and my lifetimes… we hope to break down these barriers.” _Somehow. That’s a lot of diplomatic pressure, and layers to peel back._

“All right. You’re the king, and I’m sure you’ll do what’s right for us in the end,” Judai said, his grin returning. “I believe in ya, dad.”

Yugi returned the grin, tossing Judai a wink. “I’ll do my best. Now, let’s get back to those tides.”


	16. Chapter 16

Atem found himself back down at the stables, his home away from home despite it being attached to the palace.

He was tending to his horse; she had been lonely, with how busy Atem had been recently. Seto was taking care of matters at the current moment, so Atem had slipped down to spend some time grooming his mare.

He took care to thread the brush tenderly through her mane, tugging when he found a knot but not enough to yank at the roots.

His mare neighed excitedly. “You like that don’t you?” Atem laughed. His horse shook her head, bobbing it around excitedly, nudging against the brush again.

“Neigh to you too!” He huffed, making his best horse impression. His mare threw her head back, snorting at him as if to say ‘you think you can do what I can?’ She began to nibble on his hair, horse drool oozing onto his scalp.

“Ew! Come on girl, I’m trying to give you a groom here!”

The door to the stables creaked open, and a servant stepped inside. Atem came out to meet them, moving away from his hungry horse.

“Ah, the king said you’d be down here. Your majesty,” the servant bowed.

“The king? What does my father want?” Atem asked.

“He summons you to a meeting with his grace.”

_A meeting? But not with Seto, I suppose, or he would have said so..._ “Thank you, I’ll see to the summons now.” Atem nodded. He waited for the servant to leave the stables before heading out as well. His horse snorted behind him, sticking her head out for more pats, but he gave her one last rustle of her hair, leaving the stables behind.

Atem made his way through the palace corridors, weaving his way upwards to the meeting room levels. The décor shifted from lush to luxurious, most of the wealth displayed on the higher floors. Atem thought it was a waste, but his father would always say it was a collection of his family’s, dating back centuries. Atem could respect the ancient history behind it, even if he didn’t agree at the display. It was only where they lived, however, so Atem could forgive it. 

He knocked on the closed door, hearing his father’s voice calling him inside.

“Father? You wanted to see me?” Atem asked, stepping into the room and standing to attention.

“Yes son, come, sit down over here,” his father beckoned him closer. Atem obliged, moving forward to sit down in a chair next to his father at the head of the table.

“No need to look so apprehensive, Atem,” his father smiled at him. “I’m not here to talk down to you.”

“You must admit, a simple ‘we need to speak’ summons is a little suspicious on my part,” Atem noted.

“True enough, but you know how I do things. It’s how I always summon someone.”

He has a point there, Atem admitted. His father did have a habit of keeping details vague, until he could speak with someone face to face.

“Speaking of, for the reason I summoned you here…”

Atem nodded. “Go on, father.”

“Atem, son… I think it’s time I step down from the throne. I think I’s time for a new king to assume the throne. Or kings, I should say.”

King? Atem’s eyes widened, and he blinked owlishly at his father. “Are… Are you sure?” he spluttered. He was still so young, but… he supposed Yugi was king already, maybe he could be too? _But then, merpeople age differently, I think. Can I really compare our kingdoms like that?_

“Of course,” Aknamkanon chuckled. “I think you’ve proved yourself more than enough recently. Over the past months, you’ve worked hard with Seto, and I’ve seen you taking young Jun out for rides. I’m… proud, of how you’re accepted your responsibilities.”

“I…” Atem felt his cheeks burn. _Did my father just say that? Really?_ _He’s proud of me. Wow… That’s incredible. _

He felt stupid, for all the times in the past he had admittedly been a brat, even up until a year ago. The more he thought about it, the more he realised that he had only really started to shift his behaviour after… after meeting Yugi.

“I believe Seto had some work he needed help with. Perhaps you ought to go see him. And fix up your hair,” his father chuckled.

_Oof, thanks Mana,_ Atem felt his cheeks burn. “Oh, yes, I will. Thank you, father.” His father nodded before returning to work.

Atem left the room, feeling lighter than he had when he entered. He hadn’t necessarily expected any trouble going in, of course; he and his father had been on good terms over the past year, but it had reached a point where Atem finally felt that he had a reason to be proud of his bloodline.

He walked through the corridors, heading back to his and Seto’s quarters. The door was open, and as he approached, a servant passed through the doorway, prompting Atem to scurry backwards and out of the way.

The servant jumped, muttering out an apology before racing away. Atem frowned, peering into the room.

Seto was inside, seated on the couch with a book of documents spread out in front of him. It was very much in the same style of his father, and Atem figured it was why they seemed to get along so well.

Seto glanced up, making eye contact directly at Atem. “Ah, you’re here finally. What took you so long? We have plans to discuss.”

“We do?”

“Of course. There’s a whole kingdom to run, or did you forget about that?”

Atem scoffed, rolling his eyes before plonking himself down on the other side of the couch next to Seto. “Have you spoken to my father?”

“About what?”

“He just told me he plans to step down from the throne,” Atem explained, tapping his hand against the wood. “We’ll be named king and king-consort.”

Seto paused in his work, letting the paper in his hands fall to the table. “Hmm. So soon?” he glanced at Atem, raising an eyebrow. “He doesn’t seem that old.”

“He’s not, really. I guess he just thinks we’re ready,” Atem smiled.

“We should get started spreading the word, then. We don’t have time for a flashy ceremony, I’m afraid.”

“Father might not be pleased with that, he likes big flashy ceremonies,” Atem chuckled. “But I agree. We’ve already had enough already, I think.”

“And it’s a waste of resources,” Seto nodded. “Which we can’t spare right now.”

“Speaking of, Mahad reported some progress from the fishermen down the coast. It seems like the fish have migrated away from our area for now.”

“Do fish migrate?” Seto frowned. “That doesn’t sound right.”

“I don’t know, actually,” Atem smiled sheepishly. “I probably should have asked Yugi about it before bringing it up.”

“Who’s Yugi?”

Atem paused, his pencil scratching over the page as he accidentally jerked his hand off it. “A friend. He lives down the coast, quite far away.”

“Have we met?”

“No he doesn’t visit often. But next time he does, I’ll be sure to introduce you.”

Seto nodded, turning back to the table. Atem breathed a silent sigh, pressing a hand to his chest. He’d have to be more careful in the future. The fragile balance of his and Yugi’s relationship relied on no one ever finding out. _He doesn’t seem suspicious, _Atem noted. _Which means Jun hasn’t mentioned Yugi at all either. Good, I’m proud of him. He’s very mature for his age. _

“Atem? Do you have a comment?” Seto asked, staring straight at him.

Atem shook his head. “Uh, no, continue on. I trust you.”

“…Right. Okay then.”

* * *

Yugi floated peacefully along the currents. His eyes gazing listlessly at the gentle tilt of the surface. It was far away; Yugi was drifting closer to the ocean bed, but could still see the shimmering of the sun’s rays.

Judai swam at his side, albeit much faster. It was easy to tell he didn’t enjoy sitting still, and was constantly twitching, swaying his tail back and forth. It offset the current around them, causing Yugi’s fins to tremble in response.

Yugi glanced over at his son, watching him fidget around. “Yes, Judai?” he said. Judai jumped, flipping around to face Yugi.

“So uh… I’m sure you’re having a deep meditative experience, but… what are we doing out here, your majesty?”

“Yugi.”

“Right, Yugi. What are we doing?”

Yugi glanced around at the corals and rocks below them, scratching his chin. “Have you ever hunted eels before?” he asked.

“No,” Judai’s eyes light up. “Have you?”

Yugi nodded. “Ryou and I used to go out hunting for their scales. It’s a fantastic way to crush yellow powder, which is something Ryou is usually running low on.”

“What’s it used for?” Judai asked.

“Swim with me, and I’ll explain,” Yugi gestured to his side.

Judai bobbed up to him, and Yugi set off, heading into the crag of reefs. “So,” Yugi continued. “By now you’ve met Ryou, but I suppose he’s never discussed anything around you. Not by malicious means, mind you. Ryou is just a bit absent minded sometimes, and he’s not the best at making new friends.”

“That’s okay, I don’t mind,” Judai grinned. “I’m looking forward to spending more time with everyone. There’s so many wonderful people in the palace and I’m so excited!”

_He’s so young and full of life,_ Yugi smiled. There was something about Judai that felt contagious in that grin. It was a ray of sunshine, no matter how dark it seemed below the waves.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying your time with us. You’re a pleasure to have around,” Yugi replied. He floated down closer to the rocks, peering around the clumps of plants. There was a gap between the corals where an eel could hide.

Something shifted around, deep inside the hole. Yugi heard a slight hissing, and he smirked. _Excellent._

“Shouldn’t we head back?” Judai asked. “I mean, we’re pretty close to where the humans bring their boats…”

“It’s all right Judai, we’re being careful, and we’re far enough away from the fishing grounds,” Yugi replied. “Do you think you could go around the other side of this reef? I want to see if that’s a moray in there.”

“Okay,” Judai nodded, swimming out of view. Yugi peeked back down into the rock, looking around for signs of an eel.

From the currents of the ocean that twirled around the reefs, there was little way to single out fish like they wanted to. It made hunting for eels and rock dwellers harder, but Yugi had done this with Ryou for many years. He knew eels hid well in those rocks, and sooner or later they would stumble upon a nose poking out hungrily.

“Yugi! Over here!” Judai called to him. Yugi sprung up and away, swimming over to where his son was crouched.

“You’ve found one?”

“I think so! It’s closer to the other end, though!”

“All right, let me try something!” Yugi shouted back. He crouched further down, coiling his tail closer to his body. Lining up, he shoved his hand inside.

His fingers made contact with something slimy, and suddenly it was squirming, knocking his hand against every rock and crevasse.

The eel struggled desperately against his hold, but Yugi was bigger and stronger. Eventually he tugged hard enough to yank the body out of the hole. With his other hand, he grabbed just behind the head. Applying pressure to the spine, the eel slowly lost the ability to do more than squirm in Yugi’s grip.

“And that, kiddo, is how you catch an eel,” Yugi grinned. “Now we just need to-”

“Yugi!” Judai’s shrill tone broke off his words. Yugi looked up to see Judai’s eyes wide, panic stretched across his expression.

He whipped his body around just in time for a thick rope to make contact with his nose, bashing into it and causing Yugi to abandon the eel and reach up to defend himself. Whatever it was, it didn’t strike again. Instead, Yugi felt the water shift around him, and he lowered his arms.

Just in time to see the net swallow up around him, closing off the only escape tightly above.

_Shit,_ Yugi swore. He struggled against the net, but it had been built expertly, just for a creature like him. The more he tussled with the binds, the tighter they squeezed together. Soon, he could little more than keep the rope away from his face with his hands wedged between them.

Judai swam close to the net, worry plastered all over his face. “Yugi!” he cried out. “What do I do!?”

“Go find Atem!” Yugi yelled. “Only he can help!”

“I don’t know where to look! Yugi!” Judai kept screaming, but the boat was on the move, and Yugi was losing the ability to hear him. Water rushed past his ears, so strongly that the roar reached an uncomfortable level.

Yugi winced, repetitively hit by the current the boat created. They were swiftly travelling somewhere, but where? Yugi couldn’t tell. His sense of direction had been scrambled once they began moving.

The ropes were digging into his limbs. With each tug and pull, the net only seemed to saw further into Yugi’s scales and skin.

One particular snap against the binds was all it took for Yugi to lose consciousness. Darkness swallowed his vision.

* * *

“Hey, uh… Weevil, I don’t think we caught a fish…”

“What’re you talking about?”

“It’s not a fish! It’s… some kind of monster!”

“What are you babbling about- Holy shi- _fuck_, Rex. What the fuck is this?”

“I don’t know! It’s not human, but it’s got a human face. What do we do?”

“Fuck, I don’t know. We should kill it, but…”

“We need to tell people about this. The king will want to know, surely?”

“Yeah, we better head back and show the king this…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cameo at the end brought to u by Ari's request ;;; )


	17. Chapter 17

Seto had been silent for a while now, staring down at the mess laid out over the table. Atem let him brood over whatever had his attention, focusing in on what he had in front of him.

It was barely days after they had announced the retirement of Atem’s father, and already their work load had increased. He felt the stiffness in his back and shifted his position. They had been sitting for what felt like hours, when in reality it was probably just approaching sixty minutes. The sheer volume of work made everything stretch longer and further to complete. The sun was still journeying to its peak, spreading its morning warmth. Atem hunched forward again, furiously scanning the documents in front of him.

“Do you think we should expand trade with another region?” Atem asked.

“Which region?” Seto frowned. “We already have relations with everyone surrounding us, and the country that borders my land is on good terms with us. You’d want to stretch our resources out further north? Or east?”

“There could be more, I mean, it might be worth it.” _With the way fishing has been lately, we should try to find another source of food for the kingdom, _Atem chewed his lip_. Maybe it’s time to ask Yugi for help…_

“I don’t think we have that optio-”

“Your majesty!”

“-What the?” Seto hissed. He really hated being interrupted, glaring daggers at the servant who burst into the room.

“Y-Your graces, your presence is requested at Nawan. Right now- immediately, please.”

“The fishing town? Why? What’s going on?”

“A-A fishing boat returned from a hunting trip, but… it wasn’t a fish, your grace. They say it was a monster, swum up from the deep depths…”

“A monster,” Seto drawled, a deadpan expression on his face. “You’re serious. We really don’t have time for this.”

“I’ll go, then,” Atem intervened, seeing the pallor of the servant’s cheeks. “Just to be sure. You can stay here Seto, and I’ll be back as soon as this is sorted out.”

“Fine,” Seto shrugged, already focused back in on his work.

“I’ll go alone,” Atem told the servant. “You can remain here and rest. Thank you.”

The servant bowed, leaving the room. Atem followed after them, until he swerved off the main paths, heading down a spiral of stairs towards the ground floor.

Avoiding the main entrances, he took a side route to the stables. His horse stuck her head over the door, snorting excitedly.

“We need to be fast today, girl,” he told her, saddling up and hauling onto her back. She neighed in response to his urging, tearing out of the stalls and down towards the coastal town.

Atem didn’t need a guide to find the source of the commotion; there was already a crowd gathered at the docks.

He dismounted and left Mana behind in the centre of town, dismounting and making his way over to the shoreline.

Cobblestone turned into wooden planks that creaked under his weight. Most of the dock was covered with the throng, all pressed up against each other and trying to peer down at something.

“Excuse me, please let me through!” he shouted, growing weary.

“The king,” someone whispered. “It’s the king!” Heads turned in his direction, and townspeople shuffled away from him.

A ring of space cleared around him. He stode forward, finally reaching the source of the commotion.

_Oh no…_ Atem gasped, a hand racing to his chest.

In the middle of the dock was a huge net, one that looked like it had been ripped from a trawling boat. The wooden planks around it were soaked with water, slick and damp. And laying in the middle of the sprawling thick ropes was-

_Yugi!_ His legs had already bent to race forward, but he managed to stop himself. He couldn’t let all these people watching them suspect he had ulterior motives, and previous knowledge of this ‘new’ being, in their eyes.

_Something’s wrong with him,_ Atem noticed. Despite the damp planks around him, Yugi had a sickly, dry look to his skin and his fins were shrivelled against his body as if to suck out any form of condensation within reach.

Atem turned to the young boy shivering by his side. Judging by his appearance, dressed in a coat with baggy pants, the boy was clearly used to a life on the seas. _He must be one of the fishermen who found Yugi. Or caught, I should say…_

“The… fish person wanted to see the king,” the boy said, warily fidgeting with his hands. He kept sneaking glances at Yugi, but seemed hesitant to keep eyes on him. Maybe he thought it would be bad luck, or he was afraid that staring would set Yugi loose on him somehow.

“He… knew your name, your grace…”

“I see. I’ll take it from here,” Atem nodded, firmly nudging the boy away. He turned back to Mahad, who stood to attention when their eyes met.

“Mahad, would you get this kid away from the scene?”

“Certainly,” Mahad swooped forward in a single move to guide the young fisherman away.

“Yugi?” Atem whispered, drawing closer. Yugi shook his head, gradually opening his eyes. His ear fins vibrated softly, and he cracked a small smile.

“Atem... thank fuck… a reasonable human.”

“What happened? Why are you here?” Atem asked. He moved to reach out, but then stopped himself. His hand was inches away from Yugi’s face, and he desperately wanted to touch.

But the crowd was still there, and Atem was conscious of how this would look for both of them.

“I can’t… b-breathe,” Yugi wheezed. Atem peered to his side, seeing how the gills at his neck fluttered helplessly.

“Hold on, I’ll fix that.”

Mahad had returned, edging his way forward through the throng of people. “Have you reached a decision yet, your majesty?”

“Yes, I need water.” Atem said. He left Yugi’s side, striding over to the side of a building. Dotted along the wall were several barrels. Most smelt like rotting fish, but one Atem peered inside of was full of salt water.

…Water?” Mahad was suddenly by his side, a questioning look clouding his face.

“Help me move this into the centre,” Atem grunted, already heaving against the container.

His tiny form barely budged it, but the barrel began to move once Mahad and several others joined in. The wooden planks screeched underneath. Atem grunted at the noise, gritting his teeth in protest.

They stopped some distance away from Yugi. Atem went to continue, but the others seemed hesitant to get closer. Atem sighed in frustration.

“Put him in there, and for the love of the gods, get rid of that net,” Atem gestured for the crowd directly around him to spread out.

“You heard our king, move please!” Mahad called out. His booming voice spooked everyone into motion, scurrying out of the way. A handful of people stayed back - fishermen, Atem assumed - crouching down to haul the wet snarl of ropes off of Yugi’s body.

The merman made a low whining sound when the salt-frayed cord scraped against his body. Atem winced, biting his lip and rubbing at his arms. He could almost feel the phantom sensation of binds rubbing his own skin raw.

With the rope gone, and a sharp look from Atem, the fishermen took up a limb from Yugi’s body, carrying him up and over into the barrel. Yugi sank up to his hairline, bubbles foaming around the top of his head.

“What happens now?” Mahad asked.

“We wait until he’s ready to speak.”

“Hmm,” Mahad hummed deeply. “Something tells me there’s more you’re not telling me.”

“There is, but I’ll have to tell you later.” _And Seto, no doubt…_ That was a conversation Atem wasn’t looking forward to.

“I suppose we’ll have to wa-” Mahad stopped mid-sentence, as Yugi suddenly exploded up from out of the water.

“Fuck, I needed that,” Yugi sighed, shaking out the water from his hair. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Atem rushed forward. “I’m sorry this happened to you.”

“They finally listened to me when I said I would die without water, but as you can see they didn’t deem me worthy enough for a constant source.”

“How were you able to survive, then?”

“They threw water on me occasionally,” Yugi curled his lip back, fins pressed against his skull. “I am. _Very_. Upset.”

Atem reached out to the edge of the barrel, putting his hand over Yugi’s. “I’m sorry.”

Yugi’s gaze softened, and he brought his other hand over the top of Atem’s, squeezing it softly. “It’s not your fault. All that matters now is how we’ll work our way out of this...I’m afraid I’ve created quite the situation.”

“Ah, yes, well,” Atem huffed, attempting to chuckle to let out some tension. “Who doesn’t like a good challenge every now and then?”

“You have a funny way of asking for trouble mister,” Yugi snorted. “All right, what do we do now? You have to pacify your people, and we need somewhere private to talk.”

_Pacify…_ Atem turned around, taking in those around him.

Mahad stood off to his side, watching him closely. There were a few men still lingering around too, but most of the crowd had been pushed back to the far side of the dock, well out of hearing range.

“Mahad, I left my horse in the centre of town. Can you take her to the palace and bring Seto down here, please? Tell him I really need him right away.”

“All right,” Mahad nodded. He turned away, briskly strutting off and through the crowd. Atem stepped forward to address them.

“Everyone! Please, go about your daily lives. This situation is now under control.”

“What is that thing?” someone shouted.

“Is it safe?”

“It’s not… normal!”

Yugi’s pupils contracted, and his fins all flared up. He pulled his upper body out of the barrel, voice booming across the docks. “I _am_ normal! Show some respect, you slimy eels!”

_That’s not much of an insult up here, _Atem smiled. “I’ve got this Yugi, please don’t upset them too much. They’re just scared of you, no one alive here has experienced a merperson before.”

Yugi retreated back into the barrel, sloshing water over his gills. “Fine.”

Atem walked away, coming up to the throng of people watching him carefully.

“I know you’re afraid but I promise you, we aren’t in danger.”

“How do you know?” Someone asked. “Not to insult you your majesty, but… how would you know?”

_I’m going to have to lie._ Atem bit his lip. “I don’t know exactly what he is, but I have good reason to believe he isn’t here to strike up trouble. It seems like these merpeople just want to live their lives in the ocean, and we accidentally stole him from his life.”

“Hmm…”

“I dunno, seems fishy…”

People muttered, looking unsure.

“I ask that you give me a chance to extend our contact, and allow me to look for answers.”

“Does this creature mean us harm?” someone shouted.

“No, I don’t think so,” Atem smiled at them. “He’s in shock, I’d say. I’d wager no one would enjoy that. We’ll right this wrong and go from there. Seto will be joining me shortly to conduct diplomacy.”

There was an undercurrent of whispering, but most people seemed to believe their king. They dispersed from the scene, and Atem groaned aloud, threading a hand through his hair to steady himself.

_Right, one problem solved, now we just need to deal with the rest…_

Atem returned to Yugi’s barrel, where Yugi was scratching behind his ear. He looked up as Atem approached, giving him a questioning stare.

“When Seto gets here, we should be safe to talk without anyone eavesdropping.” 

“Hmm. All right, I trust you. Also… I don’t want to cause more inconvenience, but it’s extremely uncomfortable to have my tail curled around in this tight space. Is there any chance we could move me back to the ocean?”

“I… I want to, I really do, Yugi, but… I’m just worried,” he glanced at the people who refused to leave, pretending to do things at the edge of the dock, or the road just beyond, as an excuse to stare at them.

“I see your point,” Yugi grunted. “This is very unfortunate. Well, I hope your husband arrives soon, otherwise, I’m jumping out of here and into the sea, and I won’t give a fuck what your people think.”

“I understand,” Atem frowned. He reached out for one of Yugi’s hands, and was relieved as Yugi intertwined their fingers together.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” Yugi brought their hands to his face, giving Atem’s hand a soft, wet kiss.

“Maybe… maybe we could come up with some kind of legend to tell them- or that you’re some kind of lucky omen.” _But then, you’re more likely to be seen as a curse, what with our current fishing conditions,_ Atem bit his lip, refusing to say as much.

“I think it’ll take a lot more than just their king’s word to calm their fear, but I’ll try my best.”

“Ah, but also. Congratulations, your grace. I didn’t realise you had become king in my absence.”

Atem blushed, scratching at his cheek. “Ah… yeah… heh, guess some things slip by when we don’t meet as often.”

“A shame, really, but I suppose it can’t be helped. Still, it is wonderful to hear.”

Atem smiled. “Yes, we’re finally on equal footing again, heh.”

“We’ve always been equals. Status does nothing to change that,” Yugi snorted. Atem felt his cheeks burn even further, scalding his face.

“You all right there?” Yugi tilted his head at him.

“I’m fine,” Atem chuckled. “Just… a little heated, I suppose.”

“What for?”

“I’ll, uh, tell you later,” Atem mumbled, glancing away. He noticed Seto had arrived, striding up to them.

Yugi pushed himself upwards so Seto could see the fins on his elbows and the webbing on his ears. 

Seto glanced between them, his face as impassive as ever. “This… explains a lot,” he said, looking indifferent to the sudden appearance of an wholly unknown sentient species in front of him. _Only Seto Kaiba could react that way,_ Atem snorted.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you about Yugi. I was too worried for his safety should anyone else find out. And, well, you can see why.”

“Would it not have been better to introduce him on your own terms though?” Seto replied, folding his arms over his broad chest.

“I asked him not to,” Yugi spoke up. “I was only a prince at the time, and held no power over the people’s rules and beliefs.”

“And now you are…?”

“King. Just like you both.”

“And how do the merpeople feel about their king been taken by us land-dwellers?” Seto asked.

Yugi flatted his fins against his skull. “They don’t know.”

“How long until they will know?”

“I’m not sure. I was with my son out hunting when the net took me,” Yugi explained. “I told him to go find one of my council members. He’s level headed, I’m hoping he’ll know what to do.”

“Hmm,” Seto didn’t seem convinced, but there was little Atem could say in Yugi’s defence that hadn’t already been said.

“Are you the reason we’ve been having fish trouble lately?”

“No. My people are usually banned from traversing the grounds where humans fish.”

“You must admit though, this is a strange coincidence to occur,” Seto pointed out. “The timing could have been much better.”

_It is,_ Atem thought. He knew Yugi wouldn’t be the source of such a thing, especially if he knew it was harming Atem.

“I won’t deny, I suppose I look quite guilty here,” Yugi said. “But we have nothing to do with your fishing problems. Have you considered that you might be overfishing? Perhaps you are scaring the fish away. They’re not as mindless as you might think they are. Instincts drive them away from dangerous grounds.”

“It is a possibility,” Atem noted, turning to Seto.

“But then how do we fix the problem? What is the best course of action?”

“The best course of action would be to let me get back to my people,” Yugi suggested. “So that we don’t have two different kingdoms freaking out at the same time.”

“We can let you go, I suppose, but we’ll have to come up with a _very_ satisfying explanation for our people. And we need to stop them from going out looking for more of these… mer-people.”

“How do we do that? We have to make Yugi’s people seem different from the monsters they’re believed to be.”

“Why don’t they meet my people, then?” Yugi proposed. “Everyone can get together, and we can dispel any nasty rumours.”

“It could work.” Atem turned to Seto.

“I’m sure it’s what you’d like, but…” Seto hummed. “That’s a lot of work. Do we even have the capacity to involve such a thing with our current troubles?”

“What if we strike a deal, then?” Yugi suggested.

“I’m listening… What do you have in mind?”

“A treaty, between our people. A promise of good relations.”

“Relations?” Seto scratched his chin, looking unsure. “What kind of relations?”

“From what I’ve heard from King Atem, your people haven’t had the best luck fishing recently. I can help with that.”

Atem stiffened, and Seto pinned him with a glare. “Hmm. I see. And you’re not responsible for these fishing troubles, I take it?”

“He’s _not_,” Atem said. “Seto, you have to-”

“I don’t have to do _anything_,” Seto hissed. “I’m trying to assess this situation as benefits our kingdom. I don’t know how you both know each other, and I don’t think I _want_ to know. But, I believe that you wouldn’t do anything to destroy your kingdom, Atem, and I hope I’m not an idiot for trusting in that.”

“None of this is Atem’s fault, and I would never do him harm,” Yugi flicked his ears forward.

“Except the rock he threw at me when we first met,” Atem chuckled.

Yugi snorted in good nature. “Really not helping my case here Atem.”

“He means well,” Atem turned to Seto, nodding. Seto took his time replying. He stared icily between them both for a long time. Atem didn’t drop his gaze.

“All right,” Seto relented. “I suppose it would fix our fish problem, which would go a long way to help.”

Atem beamed a smile, turning to take Yugi’s hands into his own. “Will that work? Will that be okay with your council?”

“Anyone who argues can deal with me,” Yugi chuckled. “It’ll be fine, Atem. More than fine actually, if we can finally break down those barriers between us. Think about how much we’ll be able to see each other to arrange relations between our kingdom!”

“Will we?” Atem felt giddy, wanting nothing more than to touch their faces together.

“We’ll make it happen,” Yugi’s eyes shone, glistening in the light of the morning. Atem brought his hands to his face, pressing his lips to Yugi’s knuckles.

“I look forward to it.”

Seto coughed politely, drawing their attention to him.

“I guess we had better get some paper together, and some witnesses.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the last one, and then there's a small epilogue at the end! Thank u to the ppl sticking through it all, I adore ur comments so much <3


	18. Chapter 18

The crowd gathering in Nawan’s centre for the ceremony was bigger than Atem has expected. It seemed like every citizen within a day’s ride had arrived, waiting patiently to see the mysterious source of the treaty.

He, Yugi, and Seto had allowed the merpeople and humans to interact within the grounds of their own comfort. Yugi kept his people along the edges of the docks and down the shoreline further along the coast. He and Atem were working to make sure everyone was respectful, and that no scuffling broke out among their combined people. 

Yugi bobbed beside the edge of the wooden planks. The pier housed small boats and had been built close to the water as a result; the structures that tethered the grander fishing boats where much taller.

“Are you all right?” Yugi asked, leaning forward.

Atem sighed, threading a hand through his hair. “I’m a little nervous,” he admitted. “This all seems so sudden, and I’m still feeling tense from last week’s confrontation. Will everyone be okay with this? What happens if there’s trouble?”

“Atem calm down, it’ll be all right,” Yugi said. Mahad nodded by his side.

“You’ll do fine, your majesty. Trust in yourself.” His face was the same sea of calm that had steadied Atem since a storm from years and years ago, one that had smashed into the coast and shaken the very windows of his room.

“I’ll try.” Atem let out a quick huff, rolling his shoulders. Yugi shifted in the water below, patting down his neck to dab water onto his gills.

Atem glanced around, searching for Seto’s tall hulking figure. He couldn’t see the mop of brown hair and blue eyes anywhere immediately nearby, but he assumed his husband would be on his way eventually.

“When did Seto say he would be here with the treaty papers?” Atem asked.

“Soon, I believe,” Mahad replied. “Once he returns, we’ll be able to start.”

“Things seem to be going all right, though.” Yugi chirped.

Mahad moved to reply, but something caught his eye, and he looked surprised. “Which is now, I suppose,” he commented. Atem turned to see what had his attention.

Seto strode up to them, the crowd hushing at his appearance. They began to shuffle closer, all eyes turning towards them at the docks.

Atem stepped forward, clearing his throat. “An occasion such as this has never happened before amongst our people.” Atem began. “Never in my family’s history has this type of contact been made. We are in the presence of an entire kingdom of people we have never known of.”

“I would like to personally extend a welcome in good faith to our new neighbours. I hope we have many years of peaceful trade and relations between us. May we both learn from each other in the years to come.”

The crowd gave a soft clap, several mutters whispering throughout the layers of people. They seemed on board with the treaty, but their enthusiasm had yet to be the same level as Atem’s and Yugi’s.

Atem affixed his seal to the paper, then moved aside. Seto came next, pressing his seal to the wax and fixing it right next to Atem’s.

Yugi had to be extra careful with the water he dripped everywhere he moved. Mahad was on hand with towels to pat his fingers down. They had to move quickly, to make sure Yugi didn’t dry out, and that there wasn’t any water dripping on the documents.

They had a pot of squid ink, normally used for important letters when a royal seal wasn’t needed. This was as good a moment as any, and Yugi’s people didn’t seem to have wax seals to signify their presence.

Lack of access to paper underwater would be a good reason, Atem thought with a quirk of his lips.

Yugi dipped a nail in the ink before bringing it down onto the treaty. He drew a scrawl over it, looking like nothing identifiable just as most signatures did.

He retreated back into the water, nodded up at Atem and Seto.

“And the treaty is sealed!” Seto called, raising his seal into the air triumphantly. “Let this monumental day serve as a bridge to traverse the gap between our people!”

The crowd cheered, and Atem heard Yugi’s soft sigh at the same time he let out a breath. They both smiled at each other, holding up their hands beside Seto, even if Yugi’s was much lower than theirs.

“Let the feast begin!”

The cheering grew louder, and feet stamped over the ground, everyone moving quickly to the promise of a hearty meal. Merpeople along the dock splashed through the water, everyone heading down to the eastern beaches, where rows of tables had been set up along the sands and rocks for the celebration.

“Another feast? Haven’t we had enough recently?” Atem chuckled, speaking softly down to Yugi.

“Personally I still feel like my stomach is full from the last one,” he mumbled.

“Well, nothing says we don’t have to eat anything, but it will appear rude, I suppose. We at least need to make an appearance.”

“All right, maybe _one_ fish,” Yugi snorted. “You can show me some of your human food, maybe I can try it.”

Atem grinned. “I can, yes! I’d love to!”

“I thought you might,” Yugi looked pleased.

Atem hummed, crouching down beside the ledge. “This is the start of a new page in our lives, wouldn’t you say?”

“It’s like you stole the words from my tongue,” Yugi chuckled.

“I can steal more than words.”

“Oh? What could you possibly mean, dear Atem?” Yugi purred. His wet hand trailed down Atem’s face, leaving a damp track over the skin. Atem curled his fingers around thick locks, tugging Yugi closer. Their lips met in a soft kiss, tongues lapping over each other.

They stayed clung together, arms wrapped over whatever skin they could touch, while their mouths refused to part, until the last viable second.

Atem pulled back, heaving out his breath in short, fast gulps. He noticed Yugi’s gills fluttering as well, and he momentarily dipped his head under the water, submerging his entire body. After a moment, he popped back above, blinking water rapidly out of his eyes.

Seto grunted out a short cough behind them, and Atem stood up to face him.

“I wanted to say something to the king,” Seto explained.

Atem moved out of the way, letting Seto crouch down beside the dock.

“You’ve been very helpful, and beneficial to our people,” Seto said. “I appreciate it. Thank you.”

Atem couldn’t help his eyes widening, humming in surprise. He turned to Yugi, grinning. “Wow, a genuine compliment from Seto Kaiba. You’re already doing better than me.”

“Don’t push your luck Atem,” Seto rolled his eyes. “We have reports to complete, and you promised you would do them after the treaty. We can conduct such business at the feast.”

“I suppose I did,” Atem admitted. “Ah, bummer.”

“So get a move on,” Seto strode away, saying no more.

“Not even going to watch me. I could just ignore him, then.”

Yugi snorted to his side, and Atem sent him a wink.

“I’m going to monitor the town a little longer, and answer any questions that arise from our people. And keep an eye on our sons.”

“Do I get a goodbye kiss?” Atem asked, smiling at him.

Yugi sighed deeply, like it was the toughest choice he would have to make. “I _suppose_.”

Atem laughed, bringing their heads together to touch foreheads. Yugi blinked at him, bright, purple eyes gazing into his.

“Thank you.” He whispered.

“For what?” Yugi murmured.

“For everything. For being in my life,” Atem sighed happily, stroking a hand down one of Yugi’s ear fins. He tilted his head, slotting their mouths together, soft lips on soft lips. Yugi kissed him back eagerly, teeth grazing against sensitive skin.

Yugi chuckled, nipping Atem’s bottom lip playfully. “You’ll never get rid of me now.”

Atem just smiled, warmth radiating from every tip of his body, despite the damp seeping into his clothes from Yugi’s wet skin.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I look forward to doing this more in the future,” he murmured into Yugi’s ear, kissing it lightly. It flinched in response, fluttering as Yugi’s whole body began to tremble.

“Me too, Atem. Me too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you tomorrow for the epilogue!


	19. Chapter 19

Jun yawned, stretching widely over his balcony’s railing. His soft mumbling turned into a deep grunt as he heard his bones crack. _Is this what it feels like to get old?_ He pondered. A hand scratched over his chin, where the short stubble of a beard was peeking out. _Gods I have to shave again,_ he groaned. _Otherwise I’ll end up with a beard as thick as dad’s._

His windows faced out onto the rolling hillside and forests of the north. It was a view he enjoyed, the balcony out of his room a comfortable spot to watch the goings-on. Several people below were shouting orders, and Jun noticed a trail of horses and caravans trotting down the eastern paths.

_That day already?_ He blinked, wiping at his eyes. _Shit, I better get ready before dad lectures me._

He trotted over to his dresser, swiping out several articles of clothing. He picked a clean dress shirt and pants, as dark in colour as his thick hair, but not as deep. They were more navy, as per his father’s request. Seto, of course. Atem generally didn’t care about Jun’s wardrobe, thankfully.

Jun grabbed his supply bag, hauling it over his shoulder and leaving the room.

On his way out, he passed by his father, tall and stone-like as ever, almost as if he had been waiting for Jun to leave.

“Oh, uh, hey dad,” Jun grinned. “Look I’m dressed already!”

“You’re in a hurry I see,” Seto noted.

“Uh, yeah, going down to the beach.”

“Make sure you’re back for-”

“Yes yes, I’ll be there before the ceremony starts, I promise,” Jun nodded.

“All right. Take care kiddo, and if you find your other father, please tell him to get the fuck down to Nawan already. I’m sure he’s _around_.”

“’Around?’” Jun smirked, knowing exactly what his father was talking about.

Seto pinned him with a glare. “You know what I mean. It’s treaty day, I’m sure he’s out there giggling like a child with a crush with that merman of his.”

“King Yugi, you mean,” Jun corrected.

“Whatever,” Seto rolled his eyes. “If you see him, just tell him to come join me already. And if Yugi’s there, he needs to join these preparations too.”

“Sure, dad,” Jun gave a lazy salute. Seto gave a half-hearted grunt before stalking off.

Jun left the palace, heading into the stables to pick up his stallion. The black horse grunted at his arrival, eagerly hoofing at the ground.

“Yeah, yeah I know, let’s go,” he hauled the saddle up onto the horse’s back. His horse chomped on the bit, pressing his head over the gate.

“You’re so impatient,” Jun rolled his eyes. He swung the door open, and the stallion trotted out.

Right into him.

“Thunder! Fuck, get off me!” Jun dashed out of the way, a huge barrel chest bashing into his.

Thunder snorted, throwing his head around. Jun had to snatch the reins up into his hands and pull back on them, keeping Thunder from stomping away.

He eventually calmed down, allowing Jun to jump up onto his back. “Now we can go,” Jun squeezed his sides, prompting his stallion to head out.

_Before leaving,_ Jun peered over into the stall Atem’s mare lived in. It was empty. _So he _is_ gone somewhere, _Jun noted.

Thunder took off in a flurry, kicking up dirt and dust. He was much faster than any other horse Jun had raced or seen, both back in his home kingdom, and at the borderline. Even Atem’s mare couldn’t keep up.

Jun turned him to the west, his long stride eating up distance with little effort. They began to twist away from the edge of the ocean, heading further into the thickets marking the start of the northern forests.

Before Thunder could go on, Jun pulled on the reins, redirecting him. He steered the horse further towards the west, and Thunder trotted on. Luckily it was a path they knew fairly well, and Thunder hardly complained the rest of the way down.

They eventually came to a stop at a small pile of rocks. It was a marker; one Jun had put up when this had all began a few years back.

Hopping off, Jun came around to the front of his horse, giving him a pointed glare.

“Thunder, stay _here_,” Jun pointed aggressively to the ground. His stallion eyed him, shaking his head and neck, looking aloof.

“I swear to the gods, if you wander too far off again, you’re not going out for at _least_ a week.”

Thunder snorted, suddenly taking an interest in the ground.

Whatever, Jun groaned. He left his stallion behind, trotting down to where the cliff side broke away. Unlike the other beaches to the east, the edges on the west side had no paths to trek down. They were considered not popular for strolls and trips, and that suited Jun perfectly. He hiked down the side of the cliff, using the offshoot parts of the rocks and the handholds he had once carved into the surface. There was rope hanging nearby, but Jun preferred the more adventurous route.

He touched down on the beach, although he wouldn’t call it as much. The sandy shores were further down the coastline, towards Nawan and the other towns. This side of the palace, there were only rocky paths and sheer cliffs.

But it was just the kind of challenge Jun enjoyed.

“Yo, Jun! Jun!” Jun stopped, turning to the source of the voice. _Is that…?_

He noticed something out on the water, bobbing up and down.

“Heeeey!!” _Ah, it was…_

“Hello Judai.” Jun walked up to the edge of the rocks at the shoreline.

“I knew you’d be down here, stalking around while waiting for the ceremony in town,” Judai grinned.

“Hmm, well you’re down here as well, so what does that say?” Jun smirked.

Judai laughed, splashing water around as he slapped the surface. “You got me there!”

“Indeed. Hey, have you seen our dads?” Judai asked.

“No, but I’m sure they’re not far,” Jun shrugged. “You know they’re always on a beach somewhere.”

“But not here, I see,” Judai hummed. “Yugi did say he would join the celebrations tonight though, so I’d guess he’s around.”

“I know Seto is down in Nawan, organising the banquet for tonight, but I’m not sure where my other dad is,” Jun shrugged. “Anyway, enough about our dads. You owe me a rematch on that race, merman, and I’m here to collect.”

A grin split over Judai’s face, his eyes flashing. “You can collect, but can you deliver, Manjoume?”

Jun snorted, already shimmying out of his formal wear, down to his dress shirt and pants. “Shut up and get ready.”

“To that big rock structure and back, as usual?”

“Of course.”

“Ready?”

“Yes.”

“Then go!”

…

Further down the coastline, Atem and Yugi lay on another portion of beach, wrapped in each other’s arms. Atem shifted his head towards the distant shouts from his son.

“Are those boys going at it again?” Atem sighed.

“Let them have their fun,” Yugi giggled. He nudged Atem’s arm, burrowing down under his elbow and nuzzling the wrinkles in Atem’s clothes.

“All right,” Atem snorted. He relaxed back into the towel, rubbing his hand absently over Yugi’s shoulder.

“But if they come back covered in bruises and cuts again, I _will_ punish Jun most sternly.”

“Atem, love, your idea of stern punishment is going to bed without dinner, or no horse riding for a day,” Yugi smiled. “You’re a bit of a softie.”

“I am not,” Atem rejected the idea. “I just… leave that kind of thing up to Seto. It’s more up his alley.”

“I’m going to tell him you said that, watch out, oho!”

“We’re not twenty anymore Yugi,” Atem stuck his tongue out. “You can’t use that excuse.”

“Says the man sticking his tongue out at me,” Yugi grinned. “Unless that’s a bold, open challenge for me to come suck on it?”

Atem felt his face flame up, and he groaned. “Yugi, we don’t have time to get in the mood for that. Don’t be teasing me now.”

Yugi chuckled, licking his lips with hooded eyes. “Hmm. Speaking of, however, do you think we should head down to the town now? It’s almost time for the ceremony.”

“Soon, yes. But let’s stay here a little longer. I’m not ready to move just yet.” Atem adjusted his hold on Yugi, reaching over to pick up the jug of saltwater by their side. He tipped a tiny trickle of it down over Yugi’s neck before dropping it back down.

Yugi hummed in appreciation, a lazy smile over his face. The sun’s rays bounced off Yugi’s features, light dazzling over his soft, watered features.

“I love you.” Atem breathed, stroking a hand softly over Yugi’s cheek.

“I love you too, Atem.”

They lay there, in each other’s arms, enjoying the basking warmth of the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's the end! Thank you so much for reading!  
And, well, it's kind of the end for me too. I don't know if I'll be continuing to post ygo fanfic anymore. For how the current cyclone of my life is looking, I can't say I've got anything more to add to this fandom. I might be back for big bang next year, maybe, but itll depend on a lot of things. Right now, though, im signing off.
> 
> I'll definitely still be around on the internet dont worry!! Im not leaving, im just not actively writing anything anymore ;; You can still find me on the tumbls and the twitters B) And if you might be interested in my current last puzzlefic (its still a WIP but i wanna finish it), vamp AU, I still post that over on my nsfw tumblr. Feel free to message me over there if you want the link~
> 
> If youre looking for more epic high fantasy puzzle action, I'd highly recommend checking out Tarashima's [Wings of Dawning](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20343619/chapters/48237973) fic. It's epic, its angsty, and its got DRAGONS. What more could you want? Go support and encourage her to write more, so we can see more epic stories from her <3
> 
> Thank you to everyone who's read any of my works, and u BEASTS out there who have somehow trudged through them all. Legends one and all <3 It's been a pleasure.
> 
> See ya around guys,  
Ashe


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